Windsurfing jackdaws

by freebird 15th August 2013, 1:47 pm

Just come back from walking the dog (you can tell it's a bit quiet on the work front at the mo!). The walk took us over farmland, and ahead was a large oak tree. I heard the jackdaws before I really saw them. It's quite breezy today, and the birds were flying up out the top of the tree. Once clear, they would tip their wings and let the wind shoot them backwards, then they would power back into the tree and do it over and over again.

I've seen jackdaws do this once before, a long time ago, over the cliffs at Branscombe in Devon. I'm convinced they are playing, but have never seen any other wild bird do something that appeared to be just for the fun of it.

by Ploshkin 16th August 2013, 8:05 am

I've always thought that red kites fly in high winds just for the joy of doing it. Guaranteed to see them on a stormy day demonstrating the most incredible aerobatic skills in gale force winds.

Bearing in mind the time of year, could your jackdaws possibly have been recently fledged ones honing their skills?

Windsurfing jackdaws

Windsurfing jackdaws

Re: Windsurfing jackdaws