Larder

[Za]

Hi all,
I have a large bowl on my balcony that I fill with water for the birds, recently I have been finding various things in it including several parts of a large chick, pigeon I think, huge pieces of pizza, chicken bones, pieces of fried chicken, and large chunks of meat, also a dead mouse, although I think the mouse may have been drinking from the bowl and fell in.
The only suspect that I have seen is a crow, but whatever it is, it seems to deliberately put all this food in the bottom of the bowl, seemingly using it as a larder.
I see the crow coming and having a bath sometimes in the bowl, and it is the only bird that is big enough to reach the bottom of the bowl.
I have seen ravens hiding food under stones before, but this is the first time I have encountered something hiding stuff in water.
It must be a bird as I live four floors up in a block of flats and the only access to the balcony is through my living room window.
Would this be typical crow behaviour? (I live in central London)
Cheers,
Za

[htcdude]

I've known Crows to 'dip' things in water maybe for extra moisture or something? But not to leave them in there as storage! I had to laugh when I read your post I just picture this Crow calling all his mates round for a bite to eat and a few drinks

Keep an eye out to see if the bird (probably a Crow) comes back to his stash

Nige

[~T~]

I once watched a carrion crow try to carry off a golf ball sized stone. When it eventually gave up as it was too heavy it buried it in a flooded flowerbed. So you never know with those crazy crows

[King Edward]

We have a Crow (possibly a pair) that brings bread and meat scraps to dunk in water before eating. Either in a muddy patch in the field opposite, in a bird bath or in the pond using one a planting basket that was newly planted this year (which is irritating because the plants get trampled down). I've seen both whole slices of bread and meat bones left in on the pond basket, although I suspect the bread might have been left due to the Crow being interrupted rather than in storage there.

[actionfinch]

Thats interesting ZA as i have found on several occasions bits of bone in my bird bath . Not being able to look at it all day , i was wondering what might have brought them to mine.And like u i have noticed a crow in my garden several times over the last week.