Would Kirrin Island be big enough to live on?

[Fiona1986]

Well, I don't know about that. I mean, it's not that far to the mainland, so hardly impossible for them to collect nesting materials. I just think they'd be more likely to build a nest near a good source of twigs seeing as they use so many. But I can't find any evidence to back up that theory; it looks like they choose a site based primarily on it being sheltered.

[pete9012S]

The island seems to have lots and lots of sticks. Surely where there are sticks there must be trees..or do the sticks come from all the gorse bushes on the island??

"Could we light a fire to make things a bit more cheerful?" said Julian, looking round. "I wonder where we can find some nice dry sticks?"
Almost as if they were answering the question a small crowd of jackdaws cried out wildly as they circled in the storm. "Chack, chack, chack!"
"Of course! There are plenty of sticks on the ground below the tower!" cried Julian. "You know— where the jackdaws nest. They've dropped lots of sticks there."
He dashed out into the rain and ran to the tower. He picked up an armful of sticks and ran back.

It was fun when they lighted the paper. It flared up and the sticks at once caught fire, for they were very old and dry. Soon there was a fine cracking fire going and the little ruined room was lighted by dancing flames.

The children gazed at the enormous old archway, now half-broken down. Behind it were ruined stone steps leading towards the centre of the castle.
"It had strong walls all round it, with two towers," said George. "One tower is almost gone, as you can see, but the other is not so bad. The jackdaws build in that every year. They've almost filled it up with their sticks!"

From Run Away Together:

"There's the jackdaw tower," said Anne, looking. "The other tower's fallen down hasn't it? Look at the jackdaws circling round and round the tower, George!"
"Yes. They build in it every year," said George. "Don't you remember the masses of sticks round about the tower that the jackdaws dropped when they built their nests? We picked some up and made a fire with them once."

They all got up and fetched the sticks from the back of the cave. Anne had been to the jackdaw tower and had picked up armfuls that the birds had dropped when making their nests in the tower. They built them up to make a nice little fire. Julian got some dried seaweed too, to drop into it.
They lighted the fire at the cave-entrance, and the dry sticks blazed up at once

[dsr]

The island seems to have lots and lots of sticks.

And don't forget Pa, Ma and Edgar!

[pete9012S]

[Anita Bensoussane]

What a fantastic observation.
Fiona you are the brains of this thread - what a mutt I have been to overlook that!

Being a mutt is fabulous - just ask Timmy!

Surely where there are sticks there must be trees..or do the sticks come from all the gorse bushes on the island??

I don't know whether or not jackdaws have a preference for particular sorts of sticks!

The island seems to have lots and lots of sticks.

And don't forget Pa, Ma and Edgar!

[Chrissie777]

The island seems to have lots and lots of sticks.

And don't forget Pa, Ma and Edgar!