Crows

[jirwin]

My name is Jim. I am a newbie to this site. I watch birds but not much of a bird watcher. My question is about the Crows that are landing once or twice a day on my back yard lawn area. They arrive about 20 at a time. They stab their beaks into the lawn. Are they eating Grubs or cut worms? How many Crows in a Murder?

Also I have only been in Hope since 2004 and cannot get birds to a feeder (Humming Birds excepted) or nesting boxes / houses. I have been told that there are to many predator birds around the area. I live very close to the Coquihalla River behind the Lakeway gas / store.

Does any body have suggestions for attracting Swallows.

Jim

[Gord]

Hi Jim and welcome!

Not sure how many crows qualify to be a murder! A good question. Hunting for cutworms in the lawn is as good a guess as any. I know the starlings love hunting for cutworms in a similar fashion.

Interesting how you notice two visits a day. I also get the same; one in the morning and another in the late afternoon. I think they roost nearby and stop by my place when leaving and returning to their roosts.

I dont think predator birds would be the cause for a reduction in smaller bird numbers. Predators can only be in high enough numbers as prey items allow so if there are not many things to eat, there probably wont be many predators either.

I have an idea of where you live and it looks like a good swallow area. They like their nests a little bit in the open facing a clear flight path to the entrance. If you had a pole overlooking the river and got the box up higher than 6' it would be a good place as any. Let us know how that works for you or if you come up with more questions.

However, I placed swallow boxes along Thacker Marsh a few years ago and was puzzled to see no use of the boxes despite the good numbers of swallows feeding over the marsh. Surely they have to nest somewhere!

[jirwin]

Thanks Gord.

I am going to try for Swallows again this year and see if a taller pole will work.

We had a small flock of Bohemian Waxwings I think. They cleaned off our Mountain Ash in early January and did not return.

Thanks again for the info and the ideas about nesting.

[Gord]

Jim, you're most welcome. Let us know how things work out.

Sounds like Bohemian Waxwings to me as well. Beautiful birds and they sure love Mountain Ash!