So, for my last three days on the project (for now at least), I was down to do shifts into the night.  Once the pairs have laid eggs, the plan is to get 24 hour watches going on each of the nest sites (some mindless people still collect eggs, would you believe).  This requires a fair bit of man power, so if you’re reading this, and fancy getting involved, then please do.  Probably your best bet is to contact the Cornish Chough Project (http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/projects/details/223656-cornwall-chough-project).

Anyway, it just so happened that the last three days have been blessed with clear skies and much less wind than previous days.  In fact I’d go as far as to say it was hot during the day.  As a result, I managed to do some star gazing at night, and found Saturn through the RSPB scope I was using (16 to 20x).  Wow, I can’t believe how clear the rings are.  I’m afraid my digi-scope system just wasn’t up to getting a picture of it, but let me tell you, it’s an amazing site.

My shifts were to look after the young choughs, who are now showing all the signs of incubating.  She spends the majority of her time on the nest, coming out, mostly near the end of the day, to feed and partake in grooming sessions with him.  Usually I get to see this and it’s very sweet.  He makes some (although maybe not as much as we might consider appropriate) effort to make sure she’s fed well, and she often cuddles up to him, or grooms his back with her beak.

Meanwhile, he’s continuing to harass the local raven, although he now seems at ease with passers by.  Apparently ravens are known to take chough eggs, so I have to wonder whether his behaviour doesn’t just draw attention to the pair, or if he’s got the raven thinking that he’s not to be messed with.  We’ll see.

Tonight, as the birds were going to roost, I wished them the best of luck.  I’ve grown very fond of Brownblue and Whitebrown, and a couple of the local pairs of jackdaws (currently hauling large amounts of nesting material about, in a sometimes fairly comical way).  I’m hoping that I’ll get a chance to come down here again this spring.  In the meantime, if I hear any news about Mr Brownblue and Lady Whitebrown et al, I’ll add it to this blog.

On Wednesday, during a couple of days off, I popped into Aylesbeare to pick up the chough project landrover.  Most of the winter management work has now stopped for spring, so as not to disturb birds nesting, etc.  So, most of the staff and Wednesday volunteers appeared to be working about the yard, carrying out maintenance or updates on the infrastructure.

Then on Thursday, on my way back South, I met up with Ray Piper, the Lantra trainer who had trained us during our tractor course, for a days Mule (the Kawasaki 4 by 4 version) training.  This involved driving the Mule up onto Dartmoor and then through terrain that you would ordinarily consider off limits for vehicles.  It’s all about momentum, top stuff.

Since then I’ve mostly been watching the young pair.  She (Whitebrown) is now spending as much time at base as she is away.  This is a new nest site, and it’s impossible to see where the birds go when they fly into it, but we have to assume that she’s now sitting on at least one egg.  As far as we know none of the other nest sites are at this stage.  This pair, maybe because they are so young, are doing this a little earlier than expected.

Our man, Brownblue, is still having a go at passers by, sometimes even if they are nowhere near the nest site.  As much as this is quite entertaining it means that I sometimes have to explain to people what’s going on, and ask them if they’d be kind enough to let him have his way.  Everyone seems to have an appreciation of the birds (there are information boards on the walks), and are happy to have seen them, so it’s generally a pretty nice thing to have to do.

However, Brownblue isn’t getting things all his own way.  Yesterday I’d spotted a Peregrine about on rocks a couple of times, which the choughs are usually wary of.  Seemingly with good reason, for as they both flew away from the nest site yesterday afternoon, he suddenly twisted and dived, dropping amazingly quickly down towards the sea.  As he went below the cliff line I just managed to catch a glimpse of something dropping after him.  Although I didn’t manage to identify it at the time, I can only assume that it was the Peregrine, as I know nothing else likely to do this.  Anyway, I stood there wondering if it was possible that he might have been caught, or even if he, or his assailant, had not pulled out of their dive before hitting rocks or the sea (they were already flying quite low).  Thankfully I spotted Brownblue on some rocks a few hundred metres down the coast.  He then flew slowly back to meet up with our lady, who had taken refuge on rocks up the slope from me.  They spent some time reassuring each other, and tapping beaks, and I wondered what he must be thinking as they flew off together.

So the sun isn’t always shining down here.  On Sunday I spent my shift peering into the fog for a glimpse of our mature pair, redred (see pictures from last entry) and blueorange.  This pair have a good history of getting away broods (http://www.cornwall-birding.co.uk/category/choughs/), so the fact that I barely saw them all day is not too much of a concern.

Yesterday I spent time watching the young pair, who were mostly out feeding all day, but are spending a bit of time around the suspected nest site.  Back at the Vean, I did see what I’m fairly sure is a female black restart, so that was cool.

Today, the weather was pretty bleak to start with – 100% cloud, visibility maybe 5-10Km.  Again, watching the young choughs, they are spending more time nearer their base, and our man, brownblue, is getting quite fiesty with anyone that comes near.  This involves him landing within maybe 20 feet of them and calling whilst occasionally pecking the ground.  Invariably this leads to people stopping, pointing at him, and then standing there taking pictures.  He’s a bit of a character, I have a bit of a soft spot for the little fella, but he doesn’t do himself any favours.

Still, he must be doing something right, because our lady, whitebrown, made it quite clear, with a fair bit of stooping and wing fluttering, that he was the man for her.  Jiggyness ensued, although I must admit, I didn’t have to look away for too long.

I’d been watching it come over the sea for some time and at half one there was a break in the weather and the sun came out.  Visibility was excellent, maybe the best it’s been while I’ve been down here. All the lighthouses, etc, in the distance were clearly visible, the sea became a deep azure blue, to mirror the sky.  All the local birds, gulls, jackdaws, the choughs, pidgeons, took to the air and were all whirling up and up, and we were all suddenly very happy.

The choughs seemed especially upbeat, circling higher than I’ve seen them go before, and then flying sensationally together, before she went back to base.  He came over and checked me out, still rising up and diving and spinning in the air, before heading back.  I said hello and suggested that he calm down around people, but, he probably wasn’t listening…