The Visitors

A young bird from 2005 at Zennor aviary

Operation Chough has a breeding aviary on the coast of West Penwith, as part of the new breeding/release program. This has been in situ for almost three years now, and was used as the release aviary in 2003. Since then, a pair of breeding choughs has been installed and these birds produced three young in 2004.

Watching the aviary from above

On August 2nd this year - exactly two years since the 2003 release - the aviary was alive to the sounds of wild choughs chattering. Three of the wild choughs (2005 chicks) from the Lizard had been reported in the area, and possibly lured by the sound of the breeding aviary birds, came to investigate. For almost an hour there was complete mayhem, as the young birds went through very noisy greetings with the resident pair. The newcomers were seen dive-bombing the aviary, and the reaction of the birds inside was equally intense.

Distant relatives drop in for a visit

The picture above shows a wild bird outside clearly in communication with the bird in the aviary.

Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary, Hayle Cornwall TR27 4HB, UK
www.paradisepark.org.uk