Derek was out walking this morning when he spotted a pair of jackdaws hopping through the grass, carefully pulling up dried strands and tucking them neatly into their beaks.
Jackdaws begin their nesting season in early spring, and what's fascinating is how evenly the work is shared. The male typically gathers the bulkier twigs and sticks, while the female focuses on shaping the nest’s structure and lining the inner cup with softer materials like grass, wool, or feathers to create the ideal cradle for their eggs.
They’ll set up home in all sorts of cavities—chimneys, old stone buildings, church towers, and hollow trees - any sheltered nook that offers protection and a decent vantage point.
Watching that busy pair at work is a lovely reminder of NestWatch 2000 – The First Broods of the Millennium, the Mooney Goes Wild project that won the Prix Europa and beautifully showcased the secret world of Ireland’s nesting birds.
To watch NestWatch 2000, visit https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/mooney/2026/0309/1562478-nestwatch-archive/.