ROOK

ROOKS nest in treetop colonies and return to these so-called rookeries early in the year, with some even getting to work on patching up or building nests as early as January.

According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) the first eggs are usually laid at the end of February.

Mostly found on lowland farmland, rooks are similar looking to crows, but more gregarious and have glossy head feathering and a bill that has a muddy grey bare patch at the base.

The exposed rookery nests are constructed of sticks and twigs bound with mud and grass and lined with softer material such as moss, with females laying three to four eggs.