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I'd imagine that the chicks will fly pretty soon. Not realised indeed that some species left the nest without full ability to fly back.
Here the fledglings are Starlings, at least two families. They came out last week and initially were gaping to be fed by parents. Now however they're on the feeders in the garden and the one attached to my study window. Their antics in the latter, which is really meant for finches and tits, provides me hours of amusement as the baby starlings lack the agility to hang on properly.
The single Magpie that drives the Blackbirds into a frenzy I could happily shoot.
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We hae a squirrel that delights in upsetting the dog, the cat that won't move for her, and she now studiously ignores and the doves and pigeons that annoy her.. as well as the jays.
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On a similar front, when I was out for a walk around my home town, I swa what looked like a kestrel or similar, circling over some houses, and then suddely two (in comparison) tiny bird (presumably the parents of the potential prey chicks the bop was eying up) started attacking the bop from all angles.
I had to admire the sheer gaul and determination of the parents, going up against a bird 10x their size.
Amazingly, their attacks had the desired effect, driving the bop off (and who flew off to another part of town to 'try again'), presumably because taking said chick(s) would be too much trouble.
Certainly put a smile on my face.
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If your owners don't get 'shot' of said crows in short order Sammy they'll never have the joy of song birds in their garden again, the crows will form a colony in your tree and surrounds and kill every songbird chick they can find.
If you were my faithful hound you'd be out there causing mayhem with the young crows leading to their parents clearing orf to cause raucous death to smaller birds elsewhere.
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It would be interesting to know what species of crow it is. The birds in my garden are wary of Jackdaws but are not bothered by them like they are a Magpie.
We have Rooks but they're from a Rookery a few hundred meters outside the village and seem to satisfy themselves by calling from TV aerials etc, presumably based on territory.
Carrion Crows and Ravens are not something we see locally at all.
Often see Crows, either Rooks or Carrion Crows mobbing Buzzards or the increasingly common Red Kites.
Edited by Bromptonaut on 22/05/2023 at 16:42
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After a bit of research almost certain that is a carrion crow. Highly intelligent and quite fearless suits the description adequately.. They mate for life and a lifespan of up to 20years. They do not nest in groups as would rooks so hopefully a one off this season. They do not appear to be bothering other garden birds as does the magpie but I would not put it past them as they eat almost anything. They have been bringing bread to the bird bath soaking it and feeding to the chicks. I also pulled a load of what looked like chicken bones out of the bath The nest is high up in a silver birch and sways dramatically in the wind.3-9 eggs are laid so we might be overrun. I just hope they do not take up permanent residence amusing as they are.
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We have dozens of jackdaws in the trees around our garden. Other than occasionally flying down the chimney (before I stuck a cage on top), they are no bother to us or the birds in the kitchen. If only they ate wood pigeons and collared doves.
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We had jackdaws in chimney and yes a youngster fell down the chimney ,now fitted with a cowl Two woodpigeons were nesting in a conifer in the garden but nesting elsewhere this spring. Still visit as one has a tell tale limp. All pigeons seem to be sex mad cooing and mating all the time. I like collared doves a lot smaller and harmless. If you want to attract birds provide water for drinking and bathing, they provide hours of free entertainment
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All pigeons seem to be sex mad cooing and mating all the time. I like collared doves a lot smaller and harmless. If you want to attract birds provide water for drinking and bathing, they provide hours of free entertainment
Certainly the Wood Pigeons here seem to be at all around the calendar. If they'd been human in the seventies they'd have had their shirts open to the navel with a St Christopher medallion in their chest hair.
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<< .... a St Christopher medallion in their chest hair. >>
You mean a Del-boy cocoa-tin dangler ?
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Certainly more pigeons this year than most - I get that impression anyway. I found one dead on the patio the other week - no sign of any attack, I think it might have flown into the large bedroom window, knocked itself out and then tumbled to its death. I have those stickers on all the windows that are outlines of various predatory birds that are supposed to deter birds but I'm not sure what would go for a pigeon. I wasn't sure what to do with it so placed the body at the end of the garden in the long grass while I pondered and the next day it was gone. Mr Fox must have had a meal. Waste not want not...
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... I'm not sure what would go for a pigeon.
A sparrowhawk. Pigeons seem to be one of their preferred targets.
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We have magpies around here but you only usually see them in twos or threes. However one day I was reading in the lounge which is at the front of the house when I heard this tremendous racket coming from the back garden. So loud I heard it through double glazing and a closed door. I went out to investigate and there were hundreds of magpies on every rooftop all around calling like crazy. Turns out our neighbour had put a rat trap in his greenhouse and left the door open. A magpie had hopped in and got it's wing caught in the trap. I've never heard anything like it.
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The young crows are now flying and Sammy has his freedom back!
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We too experience bird strikes on a regular basis. The birds obviously don't see the glass and seem to want to fly through the house. It is a mystery to me why, must be do to certain angle of light on a window. Now and again we find the odd dead one usually a young one but more often the imprint on the glass in "bird" dust. Some are concussed for a while and then fly off. Wood pigeons are the worst offenders and the dust off the bird leaves an almost perfect impression of a bird wings outstretched as though it is apply the "brakes" to avoid a last minute collision. The noise of the collision is something else.
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We too experience bird strikes on a regular basis. The birds obviously don't see the glass and seem to want to fly through the house. It is a mystery to me why, must be do to certain angle of light on a window. Now and again we find the odd dead one usually a young one but more often the imprint on the glass in "bird" dust. Some are concussed for a while and then fly off. Wood pigeons are the worst offenders and the dust off the bird leaves an almost perfect impression of a bird wings outstretched as though it is apply the "brakes" to avoid a last minute collision. The noise of the collision is something else.
You can stick something on the window to make the birds realise that they can't fly through it. You have to remember that they will see the world differently through their eyes when flying, and sometimes they can be confused by the glass, especially young birds.
I only found out recently that geese have much better night vision than us, because sometimes I hear a group of Canadian geese flying over and it's pitch black out there. But only to my eyes, not for geese.
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Carrion Crows live solitary lives, except for breeding. They certainly don't form 'Colonys'
That will be Rooks.
Easily distinguished.
It's Magpies that will search out, and eat Songbirds eggs and chicks from the nests.
Hopefully when the huge populations of Chris Packhams lovely Magpies have decimated the Song Bird population, Mother Nature will then see their demise!
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The good lady watched a crow systematically plucking the chicks out of a bullfinches nest at the top of our nearmost evergreen tree..
Those old enough will recall a magpie being an unusual site when i were a lad, but when we were kids they didn't have all winter long food from the detritus dropped by increasingly uncivilised humans in urban areas, humans are responsible as they are for so much that is unnatural.
When we moved in here there wasn't a song bird to be seen or heard despite being surrounded by good hedges and hundreds of trees, magpie population way out of kilter, things are now back to harmony, when i leave the house to go to work early hours the dawn chorus is wonderful, every year there are blue tits in the bird houses, countless other varieties live and breed here again, my favourites are the common sparrow, their excited chirping loyal family units bring a smile as they crowd the feeders and take turns in the bird baths.
It helps to have a resident magpie family though, being fiercely territorial they keep the marauding gangs away.
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... every year there are blue tits in the bird houses, countless other varieties live and breed here again, my favourites are the common sparrow, their excited chirping loyal family units bring a smile as they crowd the feeders and take turns in the bird baths.
Just back from a few days staying on the Welsh coast. Birds there very tame - blackbirds, robins and sparrows happy to come to the breakfast table and almost take crumbs from one's hand. Robin actually came into the kitchen. They wouldn't do that back here in Cheshire.
Funnily enough, there were only one or two gulls, and they weren't at all aggressive.
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... .
Just back from a few days staying on the Welsh coast. Birds there very tame - blackbirds, robins and sparrows happy to come to the breakfast table and almost take crumbs from one's hand. Robin actually came into the kitchen. They wouldn't do that back here in Cheshire.
Funnily enough, there were only one or two gulls, and they weren't at all aggressive.
Very nice too Andrew, one of the best kept secrets the Welsh coastline away from towns.
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"Crows live solitary lives, except for breeding... That will be Rooks."
There's a country saying: " A crow in a crowd is a rook. A rook on its own is a crow."
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"Crows live solitary lives, except for breeding... That will be Rooks."
There's a country saying: " A crow in a crowd is a rook. A rook on its own is a crow."
Yes - there are a lot of townies on here who don't seem to know anything about which birds flock and which don't.
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Hopefully when the huge populations of Chris Packhams lovely Magpies have decimated the Song Bird population, Mother Nature will then see their demise!
That is generally how nature works - it all balances out
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Hopefully when the huge populations of Chris Packhams lovely Magpies have decimated the Song Bird population, Mother Nature will then see their demise!
You can blame homo sapiens (the usual suspect) for the songbirds demise. Removal of habitat.
www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides.../
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I blame the lack of Gamekeepers who kept down the Magpies.
They were a rare sight for me in the 70s.
Now every Hedgerow has its own pair of Robbers!
Look at the Ex Grouse Moors, now they aren't managed, nothing at all can live there.
All the Ground nesting birds have moved on.
Just overgrown.
And I read now, the RSPB have finally admitted to employing 'Marksmen' to rid their land of the 1000s of Foxes that are decimating Ground Nesting Birds.
Can't have it all ways!
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Some others having crow trouble
'Aggressive' Gospel Oak crow is attacking at least 20 people a day (msn.com)
Our resident crows are still around with their youngsters who are still being feed. One of them is attacking an image of itself in a neighbours shiny wood burner flue. Spends about 10 minutes doing this before it gives up and tries again later. Obviously sees the image as another bird and a threat. Plenty of natural food around for most birds even the blackbirds and thrushes are finding worms even though the ground is hard and dry.
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The Crow picture used there is, I think, of a Rook!!
Looking again I'm not so sure...
Any other thoughts?
Currently on the Western Isles where Carrion Crows are replaced by their Hooded cousins. In there like a rat up a drainpipe if there's food around. Left the ribcage of a rabbit we'd cooked outside. It was gone in 5 minutes..
Edited by Bromptonaut on 09/06/2023 at 12:31
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Nice place to be and weather is great. I always have difficulty with the crow family Jackdaws are easy with their light grey hooded heads and smaller. This may well be a rook but for my money probably hasn't enough white around the beak but they do vary. Also rooks are sociable and group together
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Left the ribcage of a rabbit we'd cooked outside. It was gone in 5 minutes..
A pigeon met its end in the road outside my house. I was wondering what to do with it, but it had disappeared. There's red kites around and foxes around.
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A pigeon met its end in the road outside my house. I was wondering what to do with it, but it had disappeared. There's red kites around and foxes around.
That saved you a job. Isn't nature wonderful. Nothing goes to waste and better than having it stinking up the bin or a bag in the middle of summer. It's another world out there at night.
Edited by corax on 09/06/2023 at 17:55
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The Crow picture used there is, I think, of a Rook!!
Looking again I'm not so sure..
That's definitely a carrion crow, Bromp
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No problem, go to ebay and buy a ww2 Brodie helmet. You might look a bit odd going up the garden in your helmet but any crow will have to be going some to get through one of them.
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