Country diary: The choughs patrol the cliffs, cawing at everything

The Chasms, Isle of Man: This island is a stronghold for the birds, and these ones are typically boisterousI sit as close to the edge as I dare. Below me, great hulks of former cliff sit below the surface. Rising up among them is the Sugarloaf. Just a few weeks ago it was festooned with thousands of seabirds. Now, only three kittiwake chicks remain unfledged among the guano. But today I'm not here to see the seabirds, I am here to see a crow.Chiarr! It takes just two minutes to hear one. These birds want their presence known. Soon it is not just one bird I hear, but four, no five birds patrolling the clifftops. I have found some choughs. Continue reading...