SBSG - Ranmoor Rooks

Ranmoor Cliffe Rookery is a familiar and much-loved natural history landmark of the area ...

Ranmoor Cliffe Rookery History and Statistics
Though the age of the Ranmoor Cliffe rookery is not known, rooks are farmland birds so it is likely to date from the days when Ranmoor was a countryside hamlet outside the boundaries of urban Sheffield. It may have been established from birds originating from the large Whiteley Woods rookery though this can only be speculation. However the Sheffield Bird Study Group, and its predecessor, the Sorby Natural History Society, have regularly surveyed the rookery over the past 40 years. Over this period the number of nests has stayed fairly constant at around 200 nests.

In 1995 Ranmoor was Sheffield’s largest rookery. The density of rookeries in the Sheffield area is slightly below the average for Yorkshire and England, but not untypical of central England. Rooks are on the increase across England, with an estimated population of 1.27 million in 1996, up by 39% from 1975 The Ranmoor census of 2000 also noted that the nests were split roughly 50-50 between the broad-leaved and the pine trees growing on Ranmoor Cliffe, whereas in 1985 only 20% were in the pine trees.

Ranmoor Cliffe Rook Behaviour
The rookery is at its busiest during the breeding season in spring and early summer. In March and April you can observe rooks searching out the necessary materials to refurbish and line their nests, which are likely to be in disrepair after the winter storms. Large twigs are collected from the area below the rookery as well as surrounding gardens. For nest in filling and lining many rooks seem to prefer the moss which grows in abundance in the gardens and on the roofs of local houses. If you spot a rook pecking vigorously at your lawn at this time he is probably providing some free scarifying and spiking!

Once chicks have hatched the adult rooks spend the next few weeks hunting for food to feed the extra mouths. During this period they feed more locally than during the rest of the year, when they fly out to the fields of the Mayfield Valley.

Rooks work together to repel any potential intruders. Any bird of prey coming too close to the rookery is likely to be mobbed until it is forced to retreat. I have even observed a mixed flock of around 15 rooks and jackdaws mobbing a cat that had dared to ascend a nearby tree. They surrounded the hapless creature and tried to tempt it on to branches just out of its reach or too thin to take its weight, all the time chattering and ‘cawing’ loudly.

The rooks return to Ranmoor after a day spent feeding in the countryside.
Often flocks can be seen in fields alongside the Porter Clough footpath that leads out of Endcliffe Park towards the Peak District.

The spectacle that draws most attention to the rookery is the flocking visible (and audible) at dusk and dawn. This behaviour is most frequently observed during summer evenings as the rooks fly in from a day spent feeding in the fields of the Mayfield valley. Some gather first in the tall tree on Gladstone Road opposite the entrance to Graham Road, others on lampposts in the area, rather than returning directly to the rookery. Then they take to the air, begin to circle, and are soon joined by others to form a large and noisy black cloud. Every so often one breaks from the formation and dives from the air before resuming its swirling flight path. For country folk, these displays (known as ‘tom-poking’ or ‘making pancheons’) used to indicate the onset of bad weather.

In winter the rookery is quieter, since many of the Ranmoor rooks prefer to roost at the Whiteley Woods rookery at this time of year. Some can still be observed returning to Ranmoor at dusk before flying down towards Fulwood in small groups. This is a commonly observed behaviour, though the reason behind it is uncertain. Flocking is advantageous for birds in that it reduces their chances of being picked off by a hungry predator.

Personal Observations of Ranmoor Cliffe Rookery
A short letter was sent to the residents of Ranmoor Cliffe Road and Chapel Terrace asking them for their experiences of, stories about and opinions on the rookery...

“We absolutely love having the rooks around. From our dining table we can see them on summer evenings returning to the rookery and wheeling round- a wonderful sight. They really make you feel that you are somewhere other than in the suburb of a large city. We do however sleep at the back of the house so their morning chorus does not disturb us. We have lived here for 14 years and I get the sense that the colony is increasing -certainly not decreasing…"
Rosemary Hannon.

“We moved to Ranmoor Cliffe Road in 1992. Before that we had lived on Ranmoor Road and on evening walks in the area had found the rookery rather foreboding and noisy. We immediately found out why our predecessor had been cleaning his car every Saturday. The rooks go out every day from dawn till dusk apart from nesting time when they stay at home and take great delight in bombarding the house, car and road with droppings that only a big bird can manage!

“Not an auspicious start but we have grown to love them over the years. My wife likens our front windows to an aquarium where we can watch the rooks living in their little community in the sky. And it really is like looking at an aquarium - there's always different movement, individuals doing different things all within a couple of hundred yards of the nests. At dusk (apart from nesting time) they swoop over our back garden in a magnificent black cloud on their way home from wherever they go all day. If you walk towards Sandygate Road you see them, on roof tops and lampposts, waiting for each other to complete the final team manoeuvre into the rookery.

“In spring 1994 we were lying in bed early (5am early) one bank holiday morning when we heard some noises on the roof. The noise got louder and closer to the bedroom and finally with an unceremonious clump our worst fears were confirmed - a small rook had fallen down the chimney into our bedroom fireplace. Unfortunately the previous autumn we'd invested in some very nice fitted wardrobes and covered the fireplace over! There was, as you might imagine, much flapping. Being people of action but little courage we rang the insurance help-line. They found a builder who had the requisite saw to remove the back of the wardrobe without making too much mess and wearing his ferret gauntlets he captured the rook and liberated it! We're moving house in a couple of weeks but we're not going far…after all, how could we leave the rooks?
Adrian, Sharon, Daniel, Zoe and Ethan Stone.

“When we came to live here, in Summer you could set your watch by the time the rooks passed over our house when they returned to nest in the trees. Recently the number has declined; they still seem to wheel about before settling down and have gradually moved further down the hill.

“The only time they come into the garden is when they are nesting, when they strut about the back garden, eat the tit-bits, have a drink from the trough and intimidate the blackbirds. We have one quite tame bird, "Rookie", who visits us each year - he has a white flash on his wing and makes himself quite at home leaving his calling cards on the car. After spring he vanishes and we don’t see him until next year. When we moved into Holly House one of my friends said that we should call it Rookery Nook and at first we noticed the noise they made, but we are quite used to it now and would miss it, the birds are a welcome part of our life.
Brian and Alma.

“My wife and I have absolutely no problems with the rookery, we consider it part of the scenery and one of the bonuses of a semi-rural atmosphere. We only really hear them in the morning, as our bathrooms and kitchen are on that side of the house.
Brian Trueman.

“Well - they have gone again! The last night was Tuesday 24^th October. We have been here for just over 2 years but realise that at the beginning of October our raucous friends disappear until the beginning of February, making only brief appearances from time-to-time during the day. Presumably this is to check out the nesting site and see that all is in order. I say ‘presumably’ but it would be nice to know just what goes on in their minds! I was looking out of our top window on New Years Day to see the dawn of the new Millennium – for some reason the rooks came in at about 8am. Unusual; I didn’t remember seeing them for some 2 months. I wondered if they wanted to have a good vantage point too! We like having them around; we wondered if the noise might be a problem, however you soon get used to natural sounds.
Mike and Hazel Griffin.

“I love the rooks – they are company as I watch each evening as they return to their nest. In the fine weather I take my drink into the garden and watch them return ...
Frances Lilleyman.

Another less savoury local tale concerns ‘rook pie’! In days gone by, it was customary for locals to scour the area beneath the rookery during the breeding season. Any fledglings that had fallen from the nests were collected and sold to the butcher, who would produce rook pies.

If you have any stories or observations relating to the Ranmoor rooks, please send them to Chris Stride, at 11 Grainger Court, 235 Graham Road, Ranmoor or via email to c.b.stride@sheffield.ac.uk, so that we can add them to the Ranmoor archive.

Finally, some brief Rook facts…
The Rook Corvus frugilegus is a member of the crow family Corvids, which also includes Magpies, Jays, Jackdaws, Ravens and Carrion Crows. They can be distinguished from the similar Carrion Crow by the shaggy feathers around the top of their legs and the bare face patch, though the latter is not present in youngsters. Their call is a harsh cawing ‘kaah’ sound.

Rooks are sociable birds, and nest together in large colonies, known as Rookeries, as at Ranmoor Cliffe. Some rookeries can number up to 6000 birds! They breed in early spring, their nest being a large cup of twigs lined with moss, leaves and any other suitable material they can get their hands on. The female builds the nest whilst the male collects the materials. Three to five bluish-green eggs with brown speckles are laid, and are incubated for 16 to 20 days before hatching. The young rooks fledge around a month after hatching. During the fledging period the parents bring food to the young by carrying it in a throat pouch.

Rooks are principally farmland birds, and feed on a mixture of seeds, worms and insects. However, they are adaptable and are not averse to raiding the local bird tables! In winter rooks form large feeding flocks in the fields, congregating with visiting rooks from continental Europe. These flocks may also contain crows and jackdaws.

References:
Report on the 1965 Rookery Census, Sorby Record, Vol. 2, no.2, (1965)
Rookeries in the Sheffield Area, Sorby Record Vol. 3, no.3, (1971)
Rookeries in the Sheffield Area 1985-1995, The Magpie Vol. 5, no.3, (2000)
Field Guide to the Birds of Britain, pub. Readers Digest (1997)
Pocket Guide to Birds of Britain and Ireland, pub. Larousse (1995)

Thank you to Tony Morris and Chris Falshaw from Sheffield Bird Study Group and all those who sent in personal contributions to my research.