Stormy Weather

[vinteuil]

... and for all corvid enthusiasts out there: I see that the Living World programme on Radio 4 tomorrow morning ( ... 06:35 hours ) is devoted to Jackdaws

[Serial_Apologist]

If rooks and crows are so brainy, why do they pick up a bit of bread from the grass, and then bash it about in the bird bath. They leave the water like a sort of disgusting porridge, then fly off and leave the wet bread. I've seen them do it many times. Perhaps they don't like my Hovis wholemeal

It's called dunking, which crows obviously learned - along with speech - from observing the disgusting habits of people

[vinteuil]

Sparrows are indeed in short supply in London BUT my total has gone up from 12 last year to 16 this year - mild winter plus my regular supply of food for them, I guess. They arrive as a crowd about 4/5 times a day and then bicker & squabble very noisily until all are fed & then they depart. I get a few tits (blue and great) and a robin plus the usual gang of pigeons. Not bad for a very small London garden :

sadly almost no sparrows here in Shepherd's Bush. I have wrens, robins, many blue tits, some great, occasional goldfinch, plus the usual pigeons, magpies, jays.
Also lots of green parakeets which I love but which some of my bird-interested friends loathe. Almost best of all, regular passing over of skeins of geese - I assume brent?

[BBMmk2]

I was at a brass weekend last weekend at Butlin's in Skegness and me and my friends wree surprised at the lack of seagulls in the area!

[Warwick]

If rooks and crows are so brainy, why do they pick up a bit of bread from the grass, and then bash it about in the bird bath. They leave the water like a sort of disgusting porridge, then fly off and leave the wet bread. I've seen them do it many times. Perhaps they don't like my Hovis wholemeal

Saly , I have observed the crows dipping bread in the water and fly off with beakfuls of the soggy stuff , and I have wondered if they are feeding it to their young 'uns, so they can shove it down there throats easier. So, maybe the ain't so bird brained after all.

[Richard Tarleton]

... and for all corvid enthusiasts out there: I see that the Living World programme on Radio 4 tomorrow morning ( ... 06:35 hours ) is devoted to Jackdaws

There is some marvellous stuff about jackdaws in one of my favourite books, Konrad Lorenz's "King Solomon's Ring". Also about ravens, my favourite among the crows. Lorenz had a pet raven called Roah who carried out facial grooming on Lorenz, taking particular care around the eye.

I'm lucky enough to have crow, rook jackdaw and raven (and jay and magpie) on my garden bird list (which stands at about 74 species at present - the criterion is you have to be in the garden when you see the bird - species list greatly helped by proximity to coast). Not chough, around 60 pairs of which nest along the 184 miles of the Pembrokeshire coast. They have much more specific habitat requirements and stick fairly closely to the coast.

[salymap]

Saly , I have observed the crows dipping bread in the water and fly off with beakfuls of the soggy stuff , and I have wondered if they are feeding it to their young 'uns, so they can shove it down there throats easier. So, maybe the ain't so bird brained after all.

Warwick,Isn't it a little early for chicks though? This happened recently.

[Richard Tarleton]

Warwick,Isn't it a little early for chicks though? This happened recently.

Definitely. Rooks only just starting tentative nest-building. Ravens nest very early, Feb-Mar. But nobody will have chicks for another couple of months. An exception is the crossbill, whose breeding is timed to coincide with ripening spruce cones so can be as early as February.....

[jayne lee wilson]

I adore Jackdaws, they moved in around here some 10 years ago when some misguided residents decided to cull Magpies. Before the Magpies recovered (didn't take long) there was a rapid increase in Feral Pigeons (attractive, adaptable and friendly) and the Jackdaws. For about 5 years an old male with a splayed, twisted foot used to come for food, always much cockier than all the others , he'd come close for his feed. I called him Silver, and he & his mate brought their young to the garden each year to make a noisy party through May and June. In 2006 he came less often, and then - not at all. I see one now with a conspicuous pale wing-flash, of white or off-white, and I call him Silver the Second.

They all seem to muddle along together well, the ferals and the Wood Pigeons keep out of trouble whilst the 'Pies and 'Daws squabble occasionally over cheese or bread. Blackbirds, Dunnocks and other passerines have their own Table with a cage over it so they do much better these days. Pheasants steal a bit sometimes by craning their necks!

... and for all corvid enthusiasts out there: I see that the Living World programme on Radio 4 tomorrow morning ( ... 06:35 hours ) is devoted to Jackdaws

[Warwick]

Warwick,Isn't it a little early for chicks though? This happened recently.

It would seem too early for chicks, I observed this kind of behaviour during the spring/summer months in my garden.
I do find them fascinating to watch.
Thanks to Richard for his info on their early nesting-building habits.

[greenilex]

It's snowing right now - brrrhh...

[salymap]

The bad news is that this is the warmest day for most of us until Friday, according to the forecast.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

just before we leave the crows behind can some one help please .... quite some years ago [about fifteen or so] we visited Pevensey Castle, a splendid place, there were beautiful jays [i believe] - a magnificent grey plumage and a crest on their heads .... menacingly beautiful creatures .... has any one seen these birds? and can you identify them for me please?

[salymap]

Sorry Calum, not in my birdbooks.

[mercia]

jays

there were several pairs in the garden where I used to live - beautiful, esp. in flight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Garrulus_glandarius_1_Luc_Viatour.jpg

on second thoughts, that doesn't fit your description - not grey