“And down flew a blackbird …. and pecked off her nose”. I couldn’t help thinking of the English nursery rhyme as a watched these cheeky Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) working over fallow deer plucking fur for lining their nests. I expected the deer to object – “ouch, get away….” but they seemed completely unfazed and carried on chewing the cud as the birds boldly alighted and then flew off with tufts of fur. Reading up on their behaviour i discovered that they are the smallest of the crow species and are highly opportunistic. Described as ‘colonial cavity nesters’ using tree holes to chimneys, they build an outer form with sticks and line the inner side with wool or hair. No doubt that deer fur will be insulating creating a soft and warm nest. Clever creatures!
Read more at https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/jackdaw-bird-just-loves-people-178185#2HFQFRlRQtT89lK7.99
Nature on the Edge 
Since the deer are shedding their winter coats, the birds are probably doing them a service. Nothing wasted in nature!
Perfect observation Eliza so true ‘nothing wasted in nature’.
Thanks for that plausible explanation. I was wondering why the deer don’t object.
I expect the follicles have already pulled away from the skin in the shedding process, so they probably don’t feel a thing.
And here the female weavers are scouring the garden for downy feathers to line their nests, while hadedas are collecting sticks to bolster theirs:) As Eliza says, ‘nothing wasted in nature!’
Those deer are tough – they don’t even seem to flinch!
Not a blink of the eye! Looks like a cosy symbiotic relationship.
Even in the UK you manage to get good wildlife shots!
🙂 …and London is one of the last places one would think of in terms of wildlife photo opportunities! Amazing green spaces, love that city.
From observing the deer we’ve raised, I believe the shedding hair can be a bit itchy, so the Jackdaws would be doing the deer a favor! Wonderful images!!!