garden birds and nasty huge big crows and ravens.

[mimififi]

Hi there,
I have been pinned to the kitchen table for most of the day writing some articles for a customer; planning some schemes of work and writing kids worksheets, and have been sitting in front of large glass patio doors and a huge window. This has been lovely, the sun's been streaming in, the Rape seed in the field behind has been billowing in the gentle spring breeze, the Wisteria is just coming into bloom and my magnolia is in full glory. I have taken this opportunity whilst sitting here working to observe one of the latest projects in my garden: The wooden bird house my little boy made me for my birthday and the copious amounts of wild bird seed and bread crusts that have been put out for the resident robin, song thrush, sparrows, swifts and tiny little un identified birds that I used to see in my garden. Today would have been lovely to see these ornithologic specimens fluttering around, busy in a mating dance,

BUT NO!
instead, I have been subject to a huge flock of scaveging crows and ravens. They descend down from the roof of my house, past the patio window and doors and have made me feel as though I am living in some kind of jurassic nightmare, intimidated by a flock of huge terradactils. Not only that, since they have been here, none of the lovely tiny birds have been seen for love nor money!

How do i get rid of said giant birds, and get the others back????
thanks you.

[Cetti]

Do you do a good swagger mimififi?

If you do... in the style of a female Al Capone...and have the use of a large water pistol you could choose your moment then go out in the garden all guns blazing!! Repeat this manoevre every time said beasts gather and being super intelligent (the corvids, not you!) they should get the message and disperse, thus leaving you to enjoy your tranquil and idyllic sounding Garden of Eden.

You probably have Rooks and Crows, not Ravens. Although it is possible it's also highly unlikely as Ravens are pretty rare and also larger than a Buzzard which would really be scary if there was a gang in your garden.

[mimififi]

Cetti, I like the sound of your solution. I am all for play acting and do enjoy a good role play.

You could be right about the rooks. I haven't seen a buzzard, but I have seen my Great Aunt Amy, and she is often referred to as 'the old buzzard'. Whereas the birds in my paradise were large enough to unnerve me, no way were they larger than my Aunt. It would also tie in very nicely and poetically with my theory that they are all a load of old c-rooks.

Thank you for your help, I'm off to Toys'R'Us to purchase to super soakers. And in case any of you are worried about my wanton disregard for water in this here period of draught and famine, I have resigned myself to nto using soap in the bath when I bath my three baby girls (all under 5) and reserving their bath water for plants and now also crows and crooks.

Thank you cetti, your advice is most welcome.

[Clanad]

Along with ravens being, generally, much larger, other visual differences between crows and ravens are:
Ravens have pointed wings, while crows have a more blunt and splayed wing tip.
Crows have a fan-shaped tail (squared-off), while raven tails are long and wege-shaped.

Good luck on your hunting expedition! Just remember crows and ravens post lookouts to warn of impending danger. My grandfather said that if a lookout fails in his duty and one or more crows (or ravens) are injured or killed by his failure, the remaining ones peck him to death... (I never verified this, but didn't have to since he was Grandfather!) It's not for nothing that a group of crows is called a murder... Nevermore!

[mimififi]

ummm, this crow problem is turning out to be far more political than I could have initially imagined.

So, in order to deal with this onslaught of carrion birds (with the exception of rooks which don't appear to eat carrion, just grain and insects according to the RSPB website -wealth of information they were!) I need to tiptoe out into the garden, arming myself with a selection of kitchen linen and one or two water arms; check the neighbouring area for lookout posts, should the area be clear, then 10-4 good buddy, release the weapons of minimum destruction on any over sized birds that might be purloining the food out of smaller birds mouths.

I wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone pecking anyone else to death, and frankly Clanad, you are my first port of call when I can't find something in my Almanac, or when I need a succinct and comprehensive explanation, and therefore have no reason to suggest that your grandfather was any less of a genius.

Perhaps walking around the perimeter 7 times then smashing jars and banging tambourines might prove more successful, Any one have Gideon's number??????

[WendyS]

Found a headless bloodstained baby collared dove on the lawn this morning - looked like the work of a cat. But before I could finish my breakfast and give it a decent burial a crow swooped down and started to demolish its innards. I remembered your post and was about to shoo it off, but as the bird was already dead I decided that as I'd had my breakfast and didn't have babies to feed and the crow probably did, I'd let it finish the job. Which it did in a series of quick return visits, which proves that very little in nature is wasted !