A Fishing Crow.......

[RKB]

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

It was usual to plough up groups of Woodmice that were hibernating -probably as families-

Wood Mice don't hibernate, and certainly not as families. But they can have communal nests in winter.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

That`s a thought, If a crow "dived into water" as a pose to a plunge bathing type of dive -which Jackdaws do do- It would not be able to fly off.
Dave

Why not? An Osprey can, without any special adaption that a Crow doesn't have.

[RoyW]

I've seen a Carrion Crow dropping into the Thames at Goring to snatch floating bread (not on the recent WAB visit!), so I don't see why they couldn't use a similar technique for fish near the surface.

Crows will eat fish, and they can be very clever in how they catch them:
YouTube - The Bait-Fishing Crow
I'd guess that this one learn't the technique by chance after learing to soak bread to make it easier to swallow!

[FUDGEY]

On Loch Ken you see Crows regularly taking fish from the surface over deep water. They are dead fish that are floating on the surface and the birds hover and pick them of only getting slightly wet. Also see Grey Herons and red Kite doing this too.

[bigdave60dog]

Originally Posted by RoyW

I've seen a Carrion Crow dropping into the Thames at Goring to snatch floating bread (not on the recent WAB visit!), so I don't see why they couldn't use a similar technique for fish near the surface.

Crows will eat fish, and they can be very clever in how they catch them:
YouTube - The Bait-Fishing Crow
I'd guess that this one learn't the technique by chance after learing to soak bread to make it easier to swallow!

I saw a video of an Egret in France doing exactly the same thing. We all tend to underestimate the cognitive ability of birds.
Dave

[yorkieuk]

I was once fishing a lake a few years ago and watched a crow for quite some time, swooping down and taking small fish that were cruisng about the surface of the lake. I was very surprised to see it at the time, but thought it might be a common occurance.