chough

He knew that "a lapwing runs close by the ground," that choughs are "russet-pated." He knew all the beauty that is to be found throughout the country year.

I am about to precipitate, to sink, to plunge myself into the abyss that is here before me, only to let the world know that while thou dost favour me there is no impossibility I will not attempt and accomplish." With these words he approached the cavern, and perceived that it was impossible to let himself down or effect an entrance except by sheer force or cleaving a passage; so drawing his sword he began to demolish and cut away the brambles at the mouth of the cave, at the noise of which a vast multitude of crows and choughs flew out of it so thick and so fast that they knocked Don Quixote down; and if he had been as much of a believer in augury as he was a Catholic Christian he would have taken it as a bad omen and declined to bury himself in such a place.

Seventeen Choughs take to the air, wheeling overhead, their "chee-ow" call ringing off the sea cliffs.

With the help of a platform installed by the RSPB at South Stack in Anglesey, 14 young choughs have earned their feathers after taking the leap of faith in one of the reserve's caves.

However, this week they'll be chuffed to hear about Islay's choughs.

But because choughs nest in the Plas as well as owls and bats, a A rare chough purpose-built bat roost will be needed.

The site has been untouched by intensive farming methods for decades and is home to choughs, pied flycatchers, willow warblers and otters.

But beneficiaries RSPB Cymru - celebrating its 100th birthday this year - say the end of such bags would make wildlife like curlews, choughs and red kites the real winners.

According to the Trust, the farm has been untouched by intensive farming for decades and is home to a wealth of wildlife including choughs, pied flycatchers, willow warblers and peregrine falcons.

Its cliffs of nearly 400ft in height are home to the likes of choughs, peregrines and ravens, the latter of which tend to pick such nose-bleed altitudes in which to nest.

Some of the other birds which may feature in the jazz suite are rooks, choughs, oyster catchers and the island's only egret.

Then, six years ago, three choughs arrived on the Lizard peninsula in south west Cornwall, where the bird was last seen 30 years before, and two paired up.