Jackdaws

elsiek · #1 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 07:45 AM

Good morning all. Yesterday, at afternoon feeding time, all my regular birds suddenly panicked & flew off. Even the starlings retreated to the safety of the trees. The reason, 2 jackdaws! I have never had them on feeders before though they nest across the road in the oak trees. Is this unusual or was it the remnents of my home-baked wholemeal bread that was on offer? The first birds to recover their nerve were the sparrows who tried to chase the jackdaws as they left with full beaks.

John · #2 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 08:08 AM

Hi Elsie

I have a family of Jackdaws that visit my feeders each day. In fact I have just photographed one of the youngsters this morning. I must admit that the other birds here just seem to get on with them and carry on feeding.

John

Quote:

Originally Posted by elsiek

Good morning all. Yesterday, at afternoon feeding time, all my regular birds suddenly panicked & flew off. Even the starlings retreated to the safety of the trees. The reason, 2 jackdaws! I have never had them on feeders before though they nest across the road in the oak trees. Is this unusual or was it the remnents of my home-baked wholemeal bread that was on offer? The first birds to recover their nerve were the sparrows who tried to chase the jackdaws as they left with full beaks.

petermcgain · #3 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 08:25 AM

I put out soaked home made wholemeal bread every morning on my window sill on the second floor and within seconds about a dozen jackdaws are there flying in fast and then banking at the last moment before scooping up a piece of bread and flying off to eat it privately. It's quite a spectacle and the other birds on the feeders don't seem bothered. They fly off more readily when the spotted woodpecker arrives.

John · #4 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 08:36 AM

I forgot to add. My Jackdaws actually peck away at the fat balls and somehow get their beaks into the Sunflower Hearts feeder as well. They feed amongst the other birds without causing any confusion or panic.

John

elsiek · #5 (**permalink**) 11-07-2007, 07:28 AM

Thanks for that John. I have 2 special feeders "only accessible by small birds" but no-one told my starlings. They simply squeeze their narrow heads & long beaks through the bars & eat all my fat balls. At least the jackdaws can't do that.

Hobjob · #6 (**permalink**) 11-07-2007, 08:27 AM

"my" jackdaws don't upset the other birds,

I just wonder if there was a sparrowhawk around
and that sne of the small birdies, but the jackdaws were
unconcerned???

elsiek · #7 (**permalink**) 12-07-2007, 08:36 AM

Good morning Hobjob. I haven't seen a sparrowhawk. The birds return as soon as the jackdaws go so it's probably just the noise they make.

Gill Catton · #8 (**permalink**) 12-07-2007, 11:07 AM

perhaps the birds were just spooked - unused to foraging alongside jacdaws or perhaps even initially misidentifying what bird was approaching...

nightshade · #9 (**permalink**) 12-07-2007, 11:28 AM

The Jackdaw Circus here has moved on,the noise and banter
between these birds seemed to take over the garden
The other birds would pause and take in the disturbance then
continue feeding, there is probably more disturbence caused by
Woodpigeon and Magpies squabbling
I do however feed Corvids principally in another area of the garden,
in the early morning,so they move on to other feeding grounds

John · #10 (**permalink**) 12-07-2007, 06:07 PM

I have had a young Jackdaw that has given me a few laughs over the last few days. Yesterday he was standing by the side of a Magpie, watching it as if intrigued in whatever the Magpie was doing. Every now and again he would just peck out at the bird, cock its head sideways, as if to watch what the reaction was, and then go back to standing there just watching and also following the bird around the lawn when it moved on.

All the other little birds have just ignored it and gone about their feeding but this young Jackdaw has decided to join in with them on the feeders and the fat balls. Somehow it manages to stand on the Sunflower Hearts feeder and pick seeds out of the feeder one at a time. As yet I haven't got a photo of it doing that yet but I have managed two poor shots through the bedroom window of it on the fat ball holder.

John

elsiek · #11 (**permalink**) 13-07-2007, 08:59 AM

Well John, your "poor" photos are better than the ones I've got so far. My jackdaws only sit still when they are looking the other way!

John · #12 (**permalink**) 13-07-2007, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elsiek

Well John, your "poor" photos are better than the ones I've got so far. My jackdaws only sit still when they are looking the other way!

Don't worry Elsie, The Jackdaws here don't stay still and I don't see them until I walk into the bedroom. By that time they usually see me before I see them then they're off. The Magpie's are the same and I rarely get a chance to photograph them either.

John