Many thanks for another informative contribution, Alistair.  Personally, I love these detailed local insights.

So good to hear of high corvid numbers in Somerset.  I am told that the Upton (near Haddon Hill) rookery was decimated by a gamekeeper new to the area last winter, which seemed to be reflected in low Rook and Jackdaw numbers in Chipstable, last winter.

We have had decent flocks of a few hundred of both those species in recent weeks, so some recovery appears to have taken place, perhaps boosted by immigrants.

Plenty of ticks around here (assisted by high Pheasant numbers I believe).  So, happy to receive all the Jackdaws we can get…

Must have been close on 1000 Jackdaws at Blagdon Lake the other night

On two occasions recently I have observed two massive flocks of Corvids flying to roost at dusk. On the first occasion on 8 November an estimated flock of 5,000 birds flew in a southerly direction before being lost from view. I estimated they comprised about 3,500 Jackdaws and 1,500 Crows.

On the second occasion I witnessed another huge flock in the same area on 3 December. These seemed to comprise all Jackdaws and I estimated the flock to be around 4,000 birds. This time the birds were moving in a westerly direction. Both flocks were observed from the upper part of Park Lane near Carhampton, just inside the Exmoor boundary. This flock of Jackdaws is the highest number recorded in the county since the 28th of December 2011 when 4,000 were recorded at Torr Reservoir, and these are the highest numbers ever recorded in Somerset.

I suspect that these birds were flying to roost to the Dunster/Conygar Tower area as they have been recorded as roosting there in the past but in nothing like these numbers, 1000 birds being more usual. Jackdaw numbers in winter are supplemented by arrivals from Northern Europe. In winter Jackdaws desert their human habitation sites near buildings and most favour farmland, especially improved grassland, and feed on seeds, insects especially weevils and snails and ticks.