Tribute to Terry Large

I wish to pay tribute this month to Terry Large a former resident of Christleton who died in 2021. Terry was a larger than life character, who attended Christleton Secondary School in the 1960/70’s. He was enthusiastic about all sports but particularly canoeing, trampolining and rock climbing. I remember him best however as an expert Falconer, and many readers will have watched him fly his falcons and other birds of prey at many Christleton Fetes. I was compere at the Fete in 2014 when he last attended, and as one of the acts didn’t arrive, we did an impromptu session of linking the state of conservation in the area, to the flight of various birds of prey. The barn owl, illustrated, was just one of the species we spoke about. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Readers will be familiar with the story of the arrival of thousands of pink footed geese in the area over the past 5 years. January is a good time to spot them as they fly over all areas of the Parish most days. They are usually heard first, but can occasionally be seen in huge V shape skeins, continually calling to each other, and constantly changing position as they fly. There are greylag and Canada geese about too, but these are usually confined to bodies of water like the Pit or the Lake at Hockenhull, and don’t fly about in such huge numbers as the pink feet. Take time to have a good look at this time of year for kingfishers along the canal. I have had three sightings myself and get reports of them being seen most days along the canal, usually on the north side opposite to the towpath.

I hope friends will take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch again this year, as it gives a good indication about the state of the bird population in the Parish. I am convinced that numbers and species of birds are down this year, with the exception perhaps of the pink footed geese. We have been seeing lots of unusual bird species in our garden, especially of the corvid family. As they contain a group of birds that are generally black in colour I’ve illustrated below some of these birds in this month’s pictures.

Although not a corvid, the most common black coloured bird in our garden is the blackbird. The male, jet black with a yellow bill, and the female generally greyish black are seen daily, with the males also beginning to be heard at dawn singing their beautiful, melodious territorial song. In these pictures you can see the female sheltering food under her wings to prevent anyone else getting it.

Magpies with their distinctive black and white colour are often seen looking for scraps under the bird feeders. Jackdaws, black with a distinctive grey crown, also behave in a similar way, and can be seen in good numbers most days in the churchyard. Crows are large black birds with black bills and about the same size as rooks, which can be more easily distinguished with their white bill. The biggest bird in the corvid family is the raven and although primarily a bird of the mountains and cliffs, it does occur in this area, with regular sightings in Waverton, Hockenhull and at Beeston. It is larger in size, has prominent feathered wing tips and a very large black bill. It also has a distinctive call, a long croak, croak, croak or grating sound. Although the chough is a bird of the cliff tops and doesn’t appear in the village, I’ve put it in as a comparison with their red legs and curved red bill making them easier to spot. They also make a very distinctive “chuff, chuff” call when they are in the air.

Colourful jays seem to be one of the most common corvids in the area this year. I seem to have spotted them everywhere I’ve travelled, usually found near woodland where there are oaks. Although they are quite shy, you are often aware of their presence by their shriek or screaming call. They are often seen burying acorns or flashing through the foliage ahead of you. Although their main diet is acorns, they also eat other nuts, seeds and insects. It is also reported that they take small nestlings of other birds species and small mammals.

I’ll end this article with some images of starlings, another common bird in our garden. Smaller than a blackbird, they look black at a distance, but in fact are extremely colourful, even glossy. They have a plumage of feathers, containing lots of greens and purples, and covered in spots of many different colours. The young also tend to have greyish crowns and heads. Starlings are very noisy birds and often descend into the garden in small flocks, and seem to devour the food in our bird feeders within a morning. Although they are said to be scarce elsewhere, there are still good numbers in the parish.

With best wishes for 2022