We've just seen a chough in our garden in Haslemere. We've not seen one before here in 16 years. Do we assume they are rare around here ?
Never seen one but a ringer I know put the bird as one of his highlights for ringing.
Have fed Alpine choughs by hand in Austria. But they have yellow beaks.
Ray
a good laugh is better than a tonic
Yes Ray, Choughs can become quite unafraid but need to be tamed early in their lives and indeed the miners in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area of North Wales in the 19th. century used to take chicks from nests and hand rear them as pets. They are, as all corvids, very intelligent and playful birds. Since many of the miners used to spend the week in the hills in barracks and only go home at weekends I can imagine these birds were a real comfort.
Our Chough Officer in Wales is really devoted to them and does some hair-raising climbs to ring them.
I can't wait for the pair in our Date with Nature site at Llechwedd Slate Caverns to start sorting the nest out for this year. We start watching them in about three weeks time.
Jenni
God gave us two ears and one mouth for a very good reason!
I'm just wondering whether the bird Anita saw could be an escapee from somewhere. A wild Chough in a garden in Surrey does seem an unlikely occurrence.
I've no idea whether Choughs are kept in captivity. Are there any other caged birds that could resemble a Chough?
____________________________________________________________________
Tony
My Flickr Photostream
I think that is a distinct possibility TJ but what I don't know. I don't think any choughs are kept in captivity nowadays but I could be wrong. The likelyhood of it being a wild chough is remote.
Just been checking - there is a place called Paradise Park in Cornwall that apparently has or had Choughs in captivity. They apparently did release a couple of females about ten years ago without a licence to do so (ie. an illegal release). Neither bird seems to have been positively identified since two days after release.
Unknown said: I've no idea whether Choughs are kept in captivity. Are there any other caged birds that could resemble a Chough?
My gallery here
Checkout the forums' Community HOMEPAGE for lots of interesting posts from other members.
Delighted to report that a neighbour also sighted it in their garden at 7.30 this morning. 100% not a blackbird, crow or jackdaw. But size of slim crow, red legs and red beak. We can't think of any other possibility than a chough. The camera is at the ready now !
I do hope you can get a photo, Anita. I think we are all intrigued.
Galatas said: A Mynah bird perhaps ?
That's an idea! Many have yellow legs but some do have red. Good thinking!
Another neighbour has confirmed several sightings of the same bird and had also, independently, identified it as a chough but hadn't realised it was quite so rare. The four of us who have now seen it have said it has been pecking at moss on walls/rooves/sides of driveways. I feel a photo can't be too long now. Fingers crossed.