Radio antennas 1 – Binoculars 0

By Liz Corry

Thanks to the blanket fog, gales, and torrential rain we have been experiencing, plus the reduced daylight hours, November’s report is probably the shortest on record. Both the chough team and the equipment have taken a bit of a battering. A few tracking sessions have been cancelled whilst we shelter in cars or with the choughs in the aviary.

To be fair the start of the month was fairly pleasant. A bit bracing in the wind, but the sun was out and the chicks were on the move. Considering how much of the Island a chough can cover in just a few minutes the tracking team tried to be cunning and set up at three strategic vantage points; Sorel, Devil’s Hole/Crabbe, and Grantez.

Dawn tracking at Grantez.

Without sounding too bitter our plan failed on all but one occasion. Since I returned from holiday on the 8th the chicks have only flown south once…on my weekend (there is probably opportunity for a research paper into that correlation).

They decided to start exploring the north-west corner of the Island. Only ever seen flying, never touching down to feed, and only really on a few occasions. As the weather started to turn they hunkered down in Mourier Valley and haven’t really left since.

Juvenile choughs probing for food on the cliffs at Mourier Valley. Photo by Liz Corry

Thanks again to everyone who sent in sightings this month. They have definitely helped to solve one mystery disappearance and have now made it onto five of 22 bird monitoring transects in Jersey.

To distract from the lack of content this month here are some photos and a video of what the choughs have been up to….

Seconds before the shutter clicked three choughs had been perched with the kestrel, exchanging daily gossip perhaps.

Cauvette and Dingle having a squabble over a prize insect Cauvette had dug up.

Dingle begging for food from Bean (she wasn’t too impressed).