UKC

Just been bouldering at the cliff, and theres a birds nest (complete with annoyed bird and eggs) about 2m up 'Birds nest crack' of all things! (I can't believe I've just posted that!)
I suspect its got no chance of making it as its a popular route, but to give the poor thing half a chance thought I'd post a warning. Plus it scared the crap out of me when I stuck my hand into a jam and there were muted fluttering noises inside the crack!
T.

In reply to tcoulthard: did you ID the bird?

In reply to tcoulthard: Blimey, I hope it's nothing rare. I'd have thought the whole SW face would be off limits. Odds on it lasting any time at all seem slim though...

In reply to Lemony:
I'm crap with ID'ing birds, but it looked like a stonechat/wagtail (if such a thing exists) fairly common IIRC...
Grey and white speckled thing with a long tail... Think the eggs were blue..
I moved (traversed) on fairly quick to leave the poor thing alone. To be honest that crack and the area below/next to it gets quite alot of traffic that I'm amazed it managed to build the nest and lay the eggs! Was nothing there on tues pm...
T

In reply to tcoulthard:

We were not sure if it was in there the other day as it kept darting in there, then up to top of demon wall then onto the boulders on the left.

It was a wagtail type bird, needs a notice asking people to leave it till the eggs have hatched at least.

It was there early on in the week, you may not have noticed it then.

In reply to sutty:
Yup - didnt have the wherewithall to do that (no pen and paper) but someone could pin a note on the info-board thingy at the base of the crag... In the meantime I thought a post here was about the next best thing.. If some kind soul is heading up there tomorrow....?

In reply to tcoulthard:

Now where was that birds nest? Ah, birds nest crack. surely a clue that they have used it before.

In reply to tcoulthard: : Sounds like a pied wagtail. This it?
http://tinyurl.com/6j4hj7

In reply to sutty:
Indeed, I was half tempted not to post as I suspected people might think I was taking the p*ss. Nowadays I would be more tempted to call it slippery polished hand gnarling crack...

In reply to Touching Centauri:
Good research, Yup that looks like the fella. I cant say for certain it was its nest - didnt see it go in and out. but it was the only bird hanging around near the crack/area. Time for me to rest my aching limbs now! G'night.

In reply to Touching Centauri:

I think so, slept since then so cannot remember but like a coaltit with long tail.

My memory for bird names is terrible now, what is the small bird I hear in the morning with a trill in its song? Not a thrush, smaller and not noticed a robin either.

In reply to tcoulthard: If they ban that face, and I can't lap Demon Wall roof 10 times a session for training, I'll be gutted...

In reply to andi_e:

Keep to right hand side of DW and you may be ok.

You could do laps on Black wall instead, same grade

In reply to tcoulthard:
Incidentally did anybody see Dave Smith's mega lob from Great Western today? Got in a good hex at the start of crack of doom and a good wire in at the top. Went through the hand traverse but was pumped by the time he got to the two pulls to reach the prow.
I've never seen a climber freak out so much on a climb. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Oh f*ck!" he said, practically in tears. He couldnt downclimb and couldnt make the move on his pumped arms. Nor could he place gear. In the end he took the lob. And what a lob! He crashed into me and I acted as a handy cushion between him and the rock face as he pendulumed spectacularly!
Fortunately the top wire was good!
Certainly made me a little nervous leading it after him!

In reply to Will Hunt:

It was spectacular! He was so freaked I stopped taking pictures - not sure he'd want that memory! :p
Good effort though!!

In reply to Will Hunt:

Don't get nervous, get it in your mind it will go with firmness.

You should be getting better now anyway, that should be in your comfort zone really if you are getting out enough.

In reply to sutty:
I didnt really have any trouble with it. After all I had lead it before and know what the gear is and where it goes so dont spend ages getting pumped. Am building my HVSs, E1s and E2s on grit now. Did Fairy Wall recently but still managed to make a hash out of Tippling Crack (obviously not all THAT good at jamming!).

In reply to sutty:

Black wall ain't a 7a+ roof problem that's on my training regime...

In reply to andi_e:

DW is not 7a, but if you mean the direct start then that will not trouble the bird. 10ft separation is all it needs really knowing it is out of reach.

In reply to Will Hunt: I didn't see Dave Smith's lob, but it sounds spectacular and I can imagine it vividly. I speak as a man who only just managed to get the gear in which Mr Smith clearly wanted to place, and then fell off, pumped, afterwards, onto my gear, which held. It had been weighing on my mind just how much of a swing it would be if that piece at the end of the traverse were to pop. I was lucky. Good man - excellent lob! Get back up there and try it again, seeing as it's fresh in your mind, I say.

In reply to sutty: Get with the program old man! You're talking imperial, I'm talking metric!

In reply to andi_e:

LOL, sorry kiddykins, now can you give me a conversion table from groats to modern money.

In reply to sutty: font 7a+ = V7 = UK6b/c = H8+

In reply to andi_e:

>: font 7a+ = V7 = UK6b/c = H8+

is that a grade comparison chart or an equation?

later young man, need my bed for another five hours.

In reply to tcoulthard:

I've known Pied Wagtails to nest in Bird's Nest Crack several times over the past 40 years. They have certainly managed to raise young in there on at least 2 occasions that I can remember. They are pretty tolerant birds but it would be wise to avoid the route for the next few weeks if possible. No need to avoid the adjacent ones though.

Dave

In reply to tcoulthard: Yep, bird is definitely there. The nest is in the vertical part of the crack after the first break. Bloody thing flew out past my head on wednesday afternoon as I was grimly trying to make my thin hands jam into the crack, which wasn't helpful to say the least!

In reply to Nigel R:
It's obviously prepared to nest there despite the climbers though, as it must have built the nest during the dry spell of the last few weeks when there will have been loads of climbers around.
But I'd definitely have avoided the route if I'd known it was there before it flew out between my legs!