Druidean

Tha beachdan nan daoine gu math measgaichte a thaobh dhruidean. Gun teagamh sam bith tha iad dìreach àlainn mar eòin, agus na “murmurations” aca iongantach, ach faodaidh iad a bhith nam burraidhean cuideachd, a’ putadh nan eun beaga air falbh bho na biathadairean agus a’ glamhadh sios a h-uile rud dhaibh fhèin.

Chan fhaca mi nam ghàrradh iad fad mìos no dhà (am faca sibhse?), is mi a’ gabhail iongnadh an e eòin-imrich a bhiodh annta. Chuir mi roham barrachd fhaighinn a-mach mun deidhinn agus rannsaich mi sna leabhraichean-eòin agam agus air làraichean-lìn nàdair. An toiseach, cha bhi iad a’ falbh idir – ‘s ann fiù ‘s gum bi mòran druidean ag imrich bhon Roinn Eòrpa a Bhreatainn sa gheamhradh, ag àrdachadh an uimhir air spiris. Mar sin faodaidh gur e co-thuiteamas a th’ ann nach robh iad agamsa, no ‘s dòcha gum bi badan eile aca san sgìre, nas fhreagarraiche a thaobh bidh no cothroman-cruinneachaidh. Co-dhiù, ‘s urrainn do mo ghealbhonnan ‘s mo chailleachagan ithe air an socair.

Bidh na druidean a’ neadachadh as t-earrach ann an tuill ann an seann chraobhan, togalaichean no creagan. Tòisichidh am fireannach ri an nead a thogail, an uair sin tarraingidh e boireannach leis a sheinn tlachdmhor, agus cuiridh ise crìoch air. Beiridh i 4 – 5 uighean gorma a nochdas às dèidh mu dà sheachdain. Gu tric beiridh i dà thuras sa bhliadhna, sa Ghiblean agus san Iuchar, agus bidh an dithis aca a gabhail cùram de na h-iseanan agus gan beathachadh. Nuair a dh’fhàgas iad an nead thèid an teaghlach a chadal air spiris, còmhla ris na colanaidhean aca, air craobhan no mullaichean no creagan. Ruigidh iad mu chòig bliadhna deug a dh’aois.

Tha caochladh òrain aca, bho sheinn bhinn gu sgiamhail ghrannta, agus tha iad math air atharrais de dh’eòin eile no fiù ‘s fuaimean teicneagach. Abair racaid nuair a bhios iad nan suidhe sna craobhan nan ceudan!

Fhad’s a bhios iad òg, bidh na h-iseanan donn doilleir ach aithnichidh thu an cruth druid suaicheanta (agus an giùlan!) mar aig na pàrantan. Tha ceann gu math fada aca le bathais ìosal a’ dol dìreach chun a’ ghuib, a thòisicheas faisg air an t-sùil, rud a bheir coltas caran  buaireanta dhaibh. Mar a dh’fhàsas iad, gheibh iad na breacan agus an dath-lainnreachadh a tha aig na h-inbhich, gu -àraidh aig na fireannaich. Sa gheamhradh fàsaidh iad nas dorcha a-rithist, ach bidh na breacan bàna fiù’s nas fhasa rim faicinn.

Tha iad math air biadh a lorg, is iad ag ithe cha mhòr a h-uile rud, ach tha iad sònraichte measail air meanbh-fhridean, larbhachan is boiteagan nuair a bhios iseanan aca, agus air measan àm sam bith. Fhad ‘s a tha iad a lorg bidh, tha iad a’ coimhead air adhart no sìos, ach ‘s urrainn dhaibh cuideachd an sùilean a chùl-sleamhnachadh gus dèanamh cinnteach nach bi bagairt a’ feitheamh air an cùlaibh!

Tha na druidean uabhasach deidheil air cuideachd agus mar as àbhaist nochdaidh iad ann am bagaidean, tartail is èasgaidh. Faodaidh na buidhnean a bhith gu math mòr, agus ‘s urrainn dhaibh biathadairean-eòin fhalmhachadh gu luath, a’ putadh na h-eòin nas lugha a-mach às an rathad. Mhothaich mi gun ionnsaich na h-iseanan an giùlan seo glè thràth.  A rèir coltais chan ann air sgàth ‘s gu bheil iad sanntach a nì iad seo, ach air sgàth ‘s gun do leasaich iad gus ithe gu luath is ann an sgaothan, air adhbharan-dìon. Bidh iad a’ cruinneachadh cuideachd ann an sgaothan glè mhòr air craobhan no mullachan airson cadal gach oidhche.

Agus le sin feumaidh sinn sùil a thoirt air aon de na rudan as iongantaiche mu dhruidean – na “murmurations” – sgaothan sònraichte mòra. Sa gheamhradh bith sgaothan de na h-eòin sòisealta seo a’ cruinneachadh ann am beul na h-oidhche nan ceudan no nam mìltean mòra, a’ gluasad ‘s a’ tionndadh ‘s a’ dannsadh san adhair mar aon eun aibhseach, ann an cumaidhean sruthach a’ sìor-atharrachadh gu bras. Mar as àbhaist cha mhair seo ach mionaidean, agus gu h-obann teàrnaidh iad agus laighidh iad, fhathast mar aon, air an àite-spiris – ann an runnaichean, coilltean, no creagan. Abair sealladh drùidhteach! A rèir coltais s’ e seo cuideachd ro-ionnleachd-dìon – tha e doirbh do dh’eun-creachaidh aon druid a chomharrachadh airson ionnsaigh, agus nuair a bhios iad nan laighe, ‘s e sluagh teann, dùmhail a th’ annta air raon ach aon sealgair-oidhche (leithid comhachag), agus mar sin cha bhi iad a’ call na h-uimhir de dh’eòin. Bha mi fortanach murmuration mòr fhaicinn dà thuras, ach anns a’ Ghalltachd agus san Fhraing, chan ann an seo.  Am faca sibhse a leithid san sgìre?

Tha aon bhaile ann far a bheil àireamh nan druidean cho mòr (na milleanan!) ‘s gun abhraich am buachar aca trioblaidean uabhasach gach oidhce – an Ròimh.  Thoir sùil air a’ bhideo seo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVko9jyAkQg  Ten Million Starlings Swarm (7 Tonnes of Bird Poo) | Superswarm | BBC Earth BBC Earth

Agus rud inntinneach eile mun deidhinn – bha druid aig Mozart mar pheata-gràidh, a dh’ionnsaicheadh criomagan a chiùil. Fhuair an druid fiù ‘s tiodhlacadh sa ghàrradh, agus sgrìobh Mozart pìos bàrdachd air a’ chlach-chinn!

Ach chan fhaod sinn an cuspair tarraingeach seo fhàgail gun iomradh air a’ CD Murmurations le còmhlan-ciùil The Shee, is Olivia Ross chòir againn fhìn na ball – ‘s urrainn dhuibh pìos a chluinntinn an seo:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCeAFnuHDs  The Shee: Starlings

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Starlings

The starling is one of the birds people have mixed feelings about. On the one hand they’re beautiful to look at, and their murmurations are astonishing, on the other hand they’re often seen as bullies, gangs of them shoving the wee birds off the feeders, and gobbling down everything themselves.

I haven’t seen them in my garden for a couple of months (have you?), and wondered if they actually migrate. I decided to find out a bit more about them, so consulted my bird books and the various nature websites. First of all, they don’t normally migrate – in fact many European starlings migrate to Britain for the winter, increasing the roosting numbers. So it may be coincidence that I haven’t had any, or they just favour somewhere else in the area at this time of year, perhaps for better feeding or congregating. My sparrows and bluetits can feed in peace.

They nest in holes in old trees, or cavities in buildings or cliffs, in spring. The male starts the building, sings to attract a female, and she finishes it. She lays 4 – 5 blue eggs, which hatch about 2 weeks later. She often lays eggs twice a year, around April and June, and both parents look after and feed the fledglings. Later they all roost at night on trees or buildings or cliffs, or in reedbeds, in their local colonies. Starlings live for about 15 years.

They have a wide range of song, from musical to raucous, and they are excellent mimics and and copy other birds or technical and mechanical sounds they hear. They make quite a racket when they’re perching in trees in large numbers!

When they’re young, the birds are initially a dull brown, but have the distinctive shape (and behaviour) of their parents. Starlings have a long flattish head ending in a long beak that seems to start at the eye, giving it a pugnacious look. As they mature, they develop the speckles and brilliant iridescence of the adults, especially the male. In winter they go darker again, but the pale speckles are even easier to see.

They’re good foragers, eating most things, but especially fond of insects, larvae and worms when they have young, and fruit at any time. While foraging, they look ahead or down, but can also swivel their eyes backwards to check for threats!

Starlings like company, and tend to appear in groups, noisy and active. The groups can be quite large, and they can empty bird feeders in record time, pushing the smaller birds out of the way.  I’ve noticed that young starlings learn this behaviour early! Apparently this isn’t because they’re greedy, though, but because they evolved to feed quickly in flocks, for safety. They also settle in large flocks on trees or buildings to sleep in the evening.

Which brings us to one of the most amazing things about starlings – their murmurations. In winter dusks, flocks of these gregarious birds will gather together in their hundreds or many thousands and perform aerial aerobatics like one vast bird, forming and reforming amazing shapes at great speed for several minutes, before dropping as one to the roosting area – reedbeds, woods, or cliffs. This is a truly impressive spectacle. Apparently this too is a safety precaution – it’s harder for predators to pick out single birds to attack, and once landed, they will be concentrated on the territory of just one night predators (like owls), so are less likely to lose many birds. I’ve been lucky enough to see a couple of murmurations, in England and France, but not locally. Have you seen any?

One city where the murmurations are so huge (millions) that their tons of droppings every night cause a massive problem is Rome – have a look at this video on Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVko9jyAkQg  Ten Million Starlings Swarm (7 Tonnes of Bird Poo) | Superswarm | BBC Earth BBC Earth

And another interesting fact: Mozart had a pet starling that he loved, and which learned snippets of his music. He even gave it a funeral in his garden when it finally died – and wrote a poem for its gravestone!

But we can’t leave the fascinating subject of starlings without a mention of the CD Murmurations by the band The Shee, featuring our own Olivia Ross – here you can listen to a piece from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCeAFnuHDs  The Shee: Starlings