May wildlife 2014

[jomowi]

I visited a relative near Dumfires recently.  His house is on an elevated site with the living quarters at first floor level.  Last year for the first time in the 26 years he has lived there crows are crashing into his windows.  The same is happening again this year.

It would seem reasonable to suggest that as this is only happening in the breeding season that they are seeing their reflections in the windows and trying to attack what they assume to be a rival.  This happens at an unearthly hour in the morning with the consequent rude awakening of the occupants of the household.  The glass is scratched and sometimes splattered with blood, but the birds survive another day to take up the attack again. The windows are now festooned externally with Christmas decorations, CD’s etc. to discourage them. 

Can anyone offer an explanation as to why this has only started to happen after 26 years? 

[TC]

It could be that crows are now becoming tame and unafraid of people.  When I started bird watching in the 1950's, you could not get within one hundred yards of a crow before it flew off.  Now I have had one perched on my car's wing mirror eyeing me up as I was eating a bag of chips.  They are starting to nest in suburban and even town locations so they are in our locality almost all year round.  We have pigeons regularly flying into our back window when something spooks them.
For the crows it is more likely that they have seen their own reflection in the window, mistaken this for another bird encroaching in their territory and fly towards it to warn it off.
Being a reflection, this "bird" will not back off and mirrors the aggression of the attacking bird by apparently speeding up towards it. This will be taken as a threat and a challenge.  By this time the crow will be so fixated that it will be in full fight mode and prepared for attack.
 BANG... it hits the window at full speed and ouch!  Whether it will learn it's lesson who knows as the hormones are churning at this time of year.  I would suspect that the crow has a nest in close vicinity to the house, something that would only have happened since crows are now left alone in towns

[jomowi]

Thank you for your input, Tom, and fair comment.  I guess it can be said that other wildlife is becoming less afraid of people.  In my childhood for instance there were no such things as urban foxes or badgers, which are commonplace nowadays.  Even deer, otters and peregrines are to be found in cities.  (The location I referred to was on the outer edge of a village) The only 'invasion' I can think of was blue tits stealing cream from milk bottles in those long ago days of doorstep deliveries!

[Margaret]

I was attacked by a crow about a fortnight ago. It swooped from behind and got me on the top of my head. It was very painful and shocking and my first thought was that I'd been mugged. When I turned round there was the crow squawking and very agitated. I also noticed two magpies on a nearby roof and so I guess they were threatening its young.

It was such a violent attack that I felt I should report it to someone, but who?  Police and Council would not be interested. I ended up sending an email to the London Wildlife Trust but they didn't acknowledge it.

[brianw]

My neighbour had 2 of his windows shattered last year by pheasants flying into them, once while I was just a few yards away. He has lived there for very many years without previous problems. When I checked it out it appeared he was leaving the curtains and any internal doors open so that it was possible to see right through the building front to back, and maybe the birds thought they could fly right through the building. Since closing at least one so the sight-line was stopped he has had no further problems. Might or might not be a coincidence of course but worth checking.

[Anne Repnow]

Crows and magpies have become quite a pest over here. It must have been extremely scary to be attacked by one, Margaret. A bit like that Hitchcock film 'The Birds'...

Alas, I have a death to report. The first time ever that I've been lucky to have a snake in my garden it is a dead baby Natrix natrix lying near my compost heap (which my husband moved recently). It is only about 15 cm long. It is very early in the year for snake babies, I think. And there are no ponds or wetlands around - which they love. A strange thing.

[Anthony Darby]

It will be one of last year's babies.

[Anne Repnow]

That would explain it.
I thought that maybe this year's exceptionally warm winter and spring led to a different life cycle.

[Roma]

A couple of weeks ago I found a torn nest on the ground in the wood near the garden.  Last week I found an almost identical nest on the ground in the ponies'pasture but it was intact.   The local crows and magpies are very hard on the little birds just now.  It is beautifully constructed, decorated with moss and lichen and warmly lined with 'Hamish' hair.
Hamish

[Anne Repnow]

How beautiful! Do you know who constructed it?

[Anthony Darby]

Long tailed tits build a spherical nest with a small entrance, but these look more cup-shaped.

[Anne Repnow]

It would be interesting to know how the nest was originally oriented. It looks as if the entrance might have been sideways.

[Anthony Darby]

Then long-tailed tit. http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/long-tailed-tit-aegithalos-caudatus/nest-found-gorse-bush

[Anne Repnow]

Extraordinary. As exquisite as the birds themselves.

[Mark Griffiths]

A couple of moths from the moth trap yesterday. Peach Blossom and Eyed Hawkmoth.