Jackdaw - 1894

Corvus monedula

A common resident.

Very abundant on the cliffs, about all old buildings, such as the ruins of the Bishop's Palace at St. David's, Pembroke Castle, &c, about isolated dwellings in the wilder part of the county, where the birds fill up all the chimneys with their nests, and in doing this were a great plague to us at Stone Hall, and nesting also in hollow trees.

To be seen with Rooks robbing the grain in the autumn from the stooks in the corn-fields. It is the custom in Pembrokeshire for the stooks to be left out a month or six weeks before " leading in," and the birds have thus an opportunity to take their full tithe. Nor do they neglect to attack the ricks in the farm-yard, and we were often compelled to drive them away by shooting at them. In spite of all their mischief the Jackdaws are great favourites of ours, and we always enjoyed seeing them and watching their lively gestures on the coast, where their noisy chatter would be greatly missed.

At St. David's gardening operations, especially in the Deanery garden, are carried on under great difficulties, owing to the impudent thefts of the Jackdaws that swarm there at all times of the year ; and little can be had in the way of fruit or vegetables without careful protection by nets, &c. Fishing tackle and hooks, and a great variety of curious things, have been found in the Jackdaws' nests in the ruins of the Bishop's Palace at St. David's.

Mathew M.A. 1894, Birds of Pembrokeshire and it's Islands