How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Boy the wild birds are eating me out of house and home. More so than my flock right now but they are coming out of molt too. But maybe we're going to have a HARD winter because I have been hungrier than normal too

You are correct: The crows here are getting bolder every day and are stealing pellets by the pounds. - However they are also actively fighting off hungry birds of prey, no clue what kind of, but i assume those pesky red-shouldered hawks of which we have plenty around this year.
The ducks look fat, the wild turkeys look fat, the deer look fat and i am watching the scale with great concern…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

There have been more hawks coming around lately but that would not explain it. Even the Mockingibirds and bluejays are gone. They don't migrate. My ducks could care less about the hawks, just the drakes look up at them with the side eye .

You should teach your ducks to have a watchful eye on those hawks. The young ones may figure out that they can't fly away with a duck after they have killed her…

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

I’m not sure what happened. I assume it was a hawk the puncture wounds she had on her face. Thankfully what ever happened it never got hold of her very good because the wounds weren’t deep. I lost a bantam rooster a year ago to a hawk my tiny roo put up a fight but there was no way he could have won.

What a brave roo

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

You are correct: The crows here are getting bolder every day and are stealing pellets by the pounds. - However they are also actively fighting off hungry birds of prey, no clue what kind of, but i assume those pesky red-shouldered hawks of which we have plenty around this year.
The ducks look fat, the wild turkeys look fat, the deer look fat and i am watching the scale with great concern…

I only found out a couple of years ago that crows are really good at seeing off birds of prey - even when they are much larger than the crows !

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I love me some crows.

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

I love me some crows.

I've seen them mob a red kite and pull a couple of tail feathers out

Naughty crows !

 

[Beaglegal]

I've seen them mob a red kite and pull a couple of tail feathers out

Naughty crows !

This summer we had a bald eagle perch on our highest tree and survey my land deciding which well fed morsel he was going to eat. A crow about half his size flew into him and knocked him off his perch and chased him away. The bald eagle didn’t even put up a fight

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

This summer we had a bald eagle perch on our highest tree and survey my land deciding which well fed morsel he was going to eat. A crow about half his size flew into him and knocked him off his perch and chased him away. The bald eagle didn’t even put up a fight

Ha thats excellent ! Extra nice nibbles for the crows !

With those red kites, it got to the point where the crows would turn up and the kites would just leave.

Clearly they are the hard kids in town !

 

[Miss Lydia]

Crows will chase away hawks here, But they aren't always around.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I only found out a couple of years ago that crows are really good at seeing off birds of prey - even when they are much larger than the crows !

It sometimes looks here like in those WW1 movies where the bi-planes have dogfights! Yes, the crows may be smaller than the BOP's, but they outnumber them 10:1 and are much more agile. They can have all the pellets they want for keeping my ducks safer!