I don't know what he (or she) is but we hate 'em.

I found this thread by accident. I went to Bird-Watching, but saw Dave's caveat. He wrote for haters to post on Garden Foes. But this is the closest thread I could find.

Now, I don't know if this is a raven or a crow -- but he (and friends) are a nuisance.

They caw-caw-caw all day long. We came home last evening and spied him on our Persian Lime tree. I suggested that I'd get my BB pistol and scare him away -- but my DDW decided to pick up a stone from our landscaping and throw it at him.

This spooked him and he flew to the adjacent neighbor's roof. She went in, but I watched and waited. Would you believe it -- and I can swear to it.

The varmint swooped down, picked up the stone and carried it up to this wire -- his usual perch. Then, like a bombardier, he dropped it right near my feet. You have to admire his pluck and derring-do.

He is still around -- still caw-caw-cawing -- as you can see.

:)

You found it. This is Garden Foes, renamed.

It's a Crow. It isn't hunting season in Florida. In fact, they are probably nesting so you have two good reasons not to shoot them (right now).

They are very smart, bold and brave.

I don't know what would make them constantly caw. Does someone keep a cat out on a leash? Do you have a fake Owl mounted outdoors? Is there a rival "murder" (flock) of Crows cawing back? Something is drawing them in and making them upset.

They don't like shiny mylar streamers and balloons. That's worth a try - cheap and it might work.

I agree -- they are smart, brave and bold. But, also a nuisance. We have them on the golf course, where they snatch exposed wrist watches -- and anything else, shiny, in the golf carts. And a ball lying on the fairway is also fair game.

But, here at home, I'll try your suggestions.

Be well

:)

I had the same problem with quail. the bob bob bob white. after a while I found myself repeating it! it's very annoying. but I think I've gotten used to it. besides my dog often annoys me also, but I'd never part with her. I just consider them pets now.
I feed the birds also, and found myself chasing the blackbirds away, then I just thought that I was being awful dumb discriminating between the birds. was it the color? was it that there was so many of them? I don't know, but dumb nevertheless. Then I notice they ate some seed and then checking around for insects. So I figure they gotta be good for something.
Besides they probably will succomb to west nile disease b4 long anyway, I think crows are most susceptible. I say enjoy them while you can, even throw them a little corn every now and then.

Crows are very very smart. Like parrots. Sounds strange, but I had a friend that had one as a pet. Somehow, don't ask me who or how, they had the birds tongue split and it could talk and could make all sorts of sounds that it heard from the TV and radio. It used to spread it's wings and make the sound of a fighters jet (plane) firing off shots.

Dont under estimate these birds. Have you seen the movie.... the birds?????? : )

If they are nesting, they will be gone soon, be patient or you may end up with lumps on your head from the stones of your own yard.

Our crew had one as a pet while we were stationed in England. But I was more tolerant then, since I did not have any plants growing.

Maybe I'll get more tolerant again -- who knows.

: )

It is easy to tell between a crow and a raven. Most people do not know, Ravens are about 3-4 times the size of a crow, they are huge.

Send them my way. They are one of the most intelligent birds out there and so fun to watch. If they are making that much noise, maybe they are protecting a nest nearby...they usually aren' that noisy.

crows aren't small

No, but they are a lot smaller than a Raven....

Here's a link to a page describing the differences between a raven and a crow, complete with sound clips of their calls:
http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/difs.html

Oh wow,

that was very cool. They say Ravens are abou the size of a Hawk...which; the Ravens I have seen, make that a very large Hawk. I stared at the birds for about 20 minutes...I could not believe how majestic, HUGE and awesome they were...very cool.

O.K. -- O.K.

So what is he? He's a heckova lot bigger than a pigeon. Three times as large.

: )

Then you have tiny pigeons.

Did you listen to the sound bites?


http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-raven-and-a-crow.htm

"If you are birdwatching, it's easy to recognize differences between a raven and a crow to help identify the bird you spotted. The easiest thing to note is their size. A raven, such as the North American Corvus corax, is larger than a crow. Ravens average 25" tall (64 cm) with a 4 foot (122 cm) wing span, about the size of a hawk, while crows are around 18" (46 cm) tall and their wings span 3 feet (91 cm), similar to a dove. The beak of a crow might look slightly thicker than that of a raven."

http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/oct/papr/raven.html

"Description
The largest member of the Crow Family, ravens average 24 inches tall, with a wingspan of 46-56 inches. Their coloration is all-black with a metallic shine of purple or violet that is noticeable in certain lighting conditions. The bill is large and stout. In flight, the tail appears wedge-shaped, which distinguishes it from crows.

Related Species
The raven is often confused with its close relative, the crow, but there are major differences between the two species that are apparent when crows and ravens are seen together. Ravens are more solitary than crows, which will often assemble in large flocks.

Ravens eat rodents, insects, grain, fruit, bird eggs and refuse. They consume much carrion, especially in winter and will even prey upon sick and injured animals.

A raven is every bit as alert as a crow and possesses sharp eyesight and hearing. Ravens are considered among the most intelligent of all birds; like crows, they can learn to imitate a variety of sounds, including the human voice. In nature, their calls include guttural croaks, gurgling noises, and a sharp, metallic "tock."


http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/crows_ravens.htm


http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/difs.html

If you do a google search, you will find tons of info.

O.K. O.K. Uncle. So it's a crow.

I was depending on the following snip from that shades-of-night link. We never had pigeons as big as what I photoed in the first posting.


[quote}

Size
First, and most noticeably, ravens are larger than crows. They are (on average) about the size of a hawk, where crows are approximately the size of a pigeon.

{unquote}

Are we still friends?

: )

We were never enemies...

just remember, Hawks vary widely in sizes............

just don't hurt the birds or they may come back and hurt you:)

The hawks down here have been getting pretty skittish.

They, and the vultures, have been having slim pickings on the fish. (The red tide has decimated the fish locally.) So they seem to be hovering and circling around us old folks on the golf course.

And, how big are your pigeons?

Be well

:)

How big are my pigeons?

About the size of a crow:)

I told you it was a Crow!

Ravens are about 24" long, Crows are 17.5", and Pigeons are 12.5". No Ravens in Florida.

Perhaps he could be trained to drop stones on the heads of groundhogs or other garden marauders.

Quoth the FLYBOY "Nevermore."

: )

Oh man oh man, I needed a good laugh and this thread made me laugh.

That's a crow, look at the tail feathers. They're rounded not V shaped. I happen to love crows and I happen to love ravens. Incredibly intelligent birds that are very animated and not nearly as destructive as other critters.

Interesting read here-
http://www.johnshepler.com/articles/crow.html

Equi`

Give me your co-ordinates and I'll erect an arrow in your direction.

(sing) I don't want them you can have them, they're too much for me.

Be well

: )

Were you aware that with an approved shipping container that you could send them right to me on American Airlines or any other common carrier!

Equi~

But, first I'd have to touch them... UGGGHHH.

Be well

: )

Oh HORRORS! We can't have that now could we? Get a net dear. That should work. Of course you'll have to gain the animal's trust first. That's a little bit more difficult and then once that happened... I probably would never get my bird because you would have formed a bond with it. Sheesh, and all I wanted was a few more crows to round out the compliment of the ones I already have here. Gosh, I guess I'm simply going to have to make do with what I have!

I thought that you would be up to your neck in Purple Martins by now, Lauren! Do you have a pic of the house on the pole yet???

NO! NO! NO!
I am not up to my neck in Purple Martins yet. I wanted to be up to my neck in Purple Martins but I certainly am not up to my neck in Purple Martins and I am incredibly depressed about this whole situation because I am told that if they are not here by now that they won't be taking up lodging by me this year which means I have to wait another whole year. I can't believe this happened to me. I provided them with the equivalent of a palace on a pole and they shunned me.

Why didn't this happen to somebody else? Huh? This is not fair!

Lauren

You better spend more time with us on that Purple Martin board. Your best chance is yet to come. The sub-adults (SY), one year old, Martins that you want to start a new colony haven't started to show up this far north. What happened, did you forget your password. ;)

Mark

(stroking foot from side to side in front of me sheepishly) Yes. I lost my password. Can you e-mail it to me please? My e-mail is working again these days.

I got a new computer loaded with Vista and lost just about everything other than photos and e-mail. I lost many applications and those that I didn't lose didn't seem to like Vista. I zeroed the brand new computer and bought WIN XP Pro so things are on the rebound if I could only find the time to start re-loading everything.

Don't you know a computer guy that you can ask about these things BEFORE you do something silly? I'll reset your password and send you one that you can use. Just go ahead and change it when you log in.

You could have saved a few bucks on the Home Edition. That is, unless you plan on setting up a network at your place and need to log in to a Domain. That's the only difference between Home and Pro that I'm aware of.

I sent your password to your sbc e-mail address.

Tell me about Purple Martins. Do they visit New Jersey?

: )

Purple Martins are the largest member of the Swallow family. They eat flying insects exclusively in their natural habitat. Recently man has provided "emergency feeding" during long spring cold spells when the birds return from their winter migration to Brazil. They are a colony nesting bird and because of habitat destruction the eastern species is now totally dependent upon man to provide them with housing. Some "super colonies" have hundreds of birds nesting. If you see a bird house on a tall pole with multiple compartments, or natural, or plastic gourds hanging from a rack that's Purple Martin housing. They love to be near people. Native Americans hung gourds around their camps to attract and house Martins. Your best chance of starting a colony is to have an existing colony near you and use EXACTLY the same type of housing that the colony is using. Otherwise it's a shot in the dark and you may or may not get them. House Sparrows and European Starlings are non-native birds that will compete with Martins over compartments and if they are allowed to nest you will not get Martins or lose your colony. Native birds compete for compartments, too. Tree Swallows and Bluebirds will both be attracted to Purple Martin housing. Where these species compete for housing there are methods to accommodate them. I have Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and Purple Martins all coexisting in one small fenced in area of a school ground. You need wide open spaces to place your housing. A lot of trees will prevent Martins from even considering the housing. Hawks and Owls are predators that Martins hate and they know that trees make for great ambush locations. The northeastern states have seen a decline in Purple Martin numbers, as many northern states have. We guess that there are a number of reasons for this. There are Purple Martins in New Jersey. Do you live near any of the towns on this list?
http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/scout.php?Y=2007&S=NJ
To learn more about Martins start at the Purple Martin Conservation Association home page at:
http://www.purplemartin.org
Or just ask.

Mark Dietrich
www.michiganmartins.com

Thanks.

Coincidentally, the Purple Martin site you led me to, reports a sighting on April 6 in a neighboring small town. Seems to me that someone has a forest of what looks like gourds on the tops of poles, about a mile away from our home.

I'll be sure to look him up when I return.

We do have bluebirds and hummers. It's a country environment.

Be well

: )

Sounds like you have everything that it takes, short of the housing. Be sure that you REALLY would enjoy this hobby. It's not just putting up a bird house and enjoying the birds. Last year I had 17 active Purple Martin nests. 88 eggs were laid. Two young died. 16 eggs failed to hatch. 70 birds fledged. Parasites can be a problem, so nest checks must be done at least once a week. Eggs and young should be counted when nest checks are done to know how well your colony improves over years (or doesn't). The Martins really don't mind too much. They fuss a bit sometimes. The more time you spend with them the less they mind, like this lady who let me count her eggs while she watched. She was just fine.

Housing?

Do you have a quick, handy recipe? How many is the minimum amount?

My bluebird box gets business. But it's a singleton, on a tree.

: )

Bluebird boxes shouldn't be mounted on a tree. I learned the hard way.

If you find a local colony copy what they do!!!! You can “steal” birds. If you are in Florida now you shouldn’t consider PM housing in NJ. Purple Martins are fledging in Florida now.

Too bad about the PM's..

The bluebird box gets tenants -- so it's OK. What happened to yours?

: )

It is typical to have infertile or aborted eggs in any bird nest and young birds don't always survive long enough to fledge. It is part of the "hobby", but removing a dead young from a nest of healthy birds is another good reason to do nest checks.

The first Bluebirds that nested on my property nested in a box mounted on a tree. House Sparrows broke every egg and built a nest on top of the Bluebird nest and broken eggs in the ten hours that it took me to drive to work and come home. That could have happened no matter where the box was mounted, but it taught me a lesson. Squirrels eat bird eggs and climb trees. Raccoons eat bird eggs and climb trees. The best practice is to mount Bluebird houses on a smooth metal pole and use a predator guard.