Bastard crow(s) at it again.

Cass

Wrote about this three years ago and for the last few days i've had the same problem.

One grey back and he was not happy until he had every panel attacked. This time though he left subtle scratch marks on the roof and one of the doors. I got them out with some light compounding and a heavy polishing afterwards but by Jesus he didn't leave a square inch untouched.

Watched him, after the fact, on the CCTV so go up the next morning. He came the day before at 6:30 so i was up at 5. Barely had the gun out of the press when i heard the banging. Out the front door, snuck around the back and he lifted off as soon as i cleared the corner. He flew low and i had to wait till he came up a little and then gave him 72grs (2 shots) of RC's best.

Nothing in the last few days so i think word has spread. Calling down the local farmer than owns the fields at the back of me to ask if he minds me clearing the fields out for a few days/weeks. They are landing there and feeding but i'm taking no prisoners this time. Proactive rather than retroactive.

Jackdaw89

haha Crows v Cass round 2, their clever enough to figure out quickly who and what to avoid. I’m convinced they recognize me in some areas just by the racket they make when walk in the field and I think they no the shotgun means their numbers up where with the rifle they just won’t land on the field but will fly about.

Gravelly

Seems to be an awful lot of crows around this year. I've had to do a clear out in my place because they were waking Mrs. Gravelly every morning at 5am, who then feels the need to wake me and tell me they've woken her.

gunny123

Have you tried the owl/hawk decoy with plenty of crow feathers strewn around its feet ? It will either work brilliantly of they won't go near it. Worked great for me one day years ago, they went ballistic when they seen it and ignored everything else trying to mob it, i must have shot well over a dozen in a few minutes.

Worth a try.

wexfordman2

gunny123 wrote: »

Have you tried the owl/hawk decoy with plenty of crow feathers strewn around its feet ? It will either work brilliantly of they won't go near it. Worked great for me one day years ago, they went ballistic when they seen it and ignored everything else trying to mob it, i must have shot well over a dozen in a few minutes.

Worth a try.

Anyone know where to get one quick ? I've got starlings snacking on my bees, dozens of the Decker's need to do something quick

gunny123

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Anyone know where to get one quick ? I've got starlings snacking on my bees, dozens of the Decker's need to do something quick

https://www.ballistech.ie/product-category/decoys-equipment/

J.R.

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Anyone know where to get one quick ? I've got starlings snacking on my bees, dozens of the Decker's need to do something quick

https://www.maceoinltd.com/bird-control-pest-scarers/

catrat12

I have an unreal amount of pigeons and starlings this year what’s going on?

Not as many buzzards or birds of prey around that I can see

And even spotted ravens in field beside me

J.R.

I've noticed a lot of crows this year - and same here - very few birds of prey about this year.

Other years I would see one or two families of buzzards soaring, training their young......4 buzzards usually together. Often saw this replicated in each area I visited.

This year I've only seen one lone buzzard so far.

No idea where they have gone.

Did the snow have an effect??

Birdnuts

J.R. wrote: »

I've noticed a lot of crows this year - and same here - very few birds of prey about this year.

Other years I would see one or two families of buzzards soaring, training their young......4 buzzards usually together. Often saw this replicated in each area I visited.

This year I've only seen one lone buzzard so far.

No idea where they have gone.

Did the snow have an effect??

Its a bit early yet to see young BOP's out and about - I usually don't see juveniles about until well into july. I would say the snow had an effect all right - theres a heronry near my parents place and this year all the nests got wiped out by the snow. Herons are early breeders so would have been sitting on eggs by the end of February.

yubabill

Lots of buzzards around here. They've virtually wiped-out the rabbit population for a couple of miles. Plenty of calling to one-another these days. Certainly at least four in the immediate locality and plenty more up the road.

Plenty of crows on the cut silage, but they don't go near my windows, so I rarely waste ammo on them.

I have 2 cartridges put by for the magpies, though.

The little songbirds will be grateful to me, I think.

John_Rambo

In coastal Dublin here and the number of greys (hooded crows) is unbelievable. And they're very brave & cheeky. Very few jackdaws for some reason. When I was a kid it was the other way round. Hundreds of herons and egrets around too.

Attacking a car is a new one. I'd go nuts.

gunny123

I was feeding the small/song birds during the hard weather, the usual, peanuts, grain and suet balls. Of course no good deed goes unpunished, and i would up feeding too many crows and pigeons. The crows are cheeky shaggers, and aggressive too.

Cass

Another one this morning. Luckily i got to him before he done anything.

The fields behind me have been idle for years and in the last 10 days or so the new owner has ploughed, tilled, etc the land. Since he started the crows, pigeons, etc, etc. have been non stop. Might be coincidence, but more likely they are drawn in, land in the garden, see themselves in the car, and attack.

As clever as they're meant to be you'd think someone would tell them it's a fecking Vectra and not another bird. Dozy baxtard.

John_Rambo

Not sure if Leo's going to sort out your crow/car paint problem.

Have you tried one of the lighter T-cut rubs? They're pretty effective on scratches and scrapes. My car suffers from sand scrapes from too much beach time and my family rubbing up against the car putting boards on the roof. I used one of the lighter T-cut polishes and they got rid of all of them. The car needs a good wax after though.

Mind you the lovely mirror finish might just attract the grey again!

Cass

The risk you run having multiple reply boxes open, you post in the wrong thread.

Already cleaned her the other day and got the scratches out.



Have a good few cleaning products including a few different grades of T-Cut and other compounds.



Thing is i don't want to be doing this every week. I wash the car weekly, sometimes twice weekly, but there is a different between a wash and an 8 hour compounding and waxing session. Feck that noise. Easier to rid myself of the cause.

Birdnuts

John_Rambo wrote: »

In coastal Dublin here and the number of greys (hooded crows) is unbelievable. And they're very brave & cheeky. Very few jackdaws for some reason. When I was a kid it was the other way round. Hundreds of herons and egrets around too.

Attacking a car is a new one. I'd go nuts.

Yeah - I'm helping to co-ordinate one of the Curlew projects and on one bog alone we've takin over 50 since the start of the year!!

John_Rambo

Cass wrote: »

The risk you run having multiple reply boxes open, you post in the wrong thread..

Ah, understood, Busy man online and offline! Cracking looking car! Very impressive manshed!!!!

Birdnuts wrote: »

Yeah - I'm helping to co-ordinate one of the Curlew projects and on one bog alone we've takin over 50 since the start of the year!!

Nice one Birdnuts. I live beside the Bull Island. No shortage of curlew here, but I'm not sure if they're native or visitors. We had a spoonbill knocking around for a while! He was huge!!

Cass, you're going to have to keep blowing the greys out of the sky without clipping he carefully polished car!!

Birdnuts

John_Rambo wrote: »

Nice one Birdnuts. I live beside the Bull Island. No shortage of curlew here, but I'm not sure if they're native or visitors. We had a spoonbill knocking around for a while! He was huge!!

!!

Visitors I'm afraid - breeding pairs down to just 150. Bull island great spot for birds, theres a Ruddy Shelduck there atm, a rare visitor from SE Europe!!

ezra_

Cass wrote: »

Another one this morning. Luckily i got to him before he done anything.

The fields behind me have been idle for years and in the last 10 days or so the new owner has ploughed, tilled, etc the land. Since he started the crows, pigeons, etc, etc. have been non stop. Might be coincidence, but more likely they are drawn in, land in the garden, see themselves in the car, and attack.

As clever as they're meant to be you'd think someone would tell them it's a fecking Vectra and not another bird. Dozy baxtard.

I think the only long-term solution is to put a camo net over your car when you park it!

In all seriousness, it is still breeding season for them now isn't it?

Captainaxiom

What month are the branchers out

Birdnuts

Captainaxiom wrote: »

What month are the branchers out

Their out and about right now!!

gunny123

Doesn't the eu-ssr not have a rule to say you cannot shoot crows, magpies and other rubbish during some months of the year ?

Gravelly

gunny123 wrote: »

Doesn't the eu-ssr not have a rule to say you cannot shoot crows, magpies and other rubbish during some months of the year ?

Don't notify them and you'll be fine

gunny123

Gravelly wrote: »

gunny123 wrote: »

Doesn't the eu-ssr not have a rule to say you cannot shoot crows, magpies and other rubbish during some months of the year ?

Don't notify them and you'll be fine

Don't worry, i have healthy disrespect for bull****ty rules and laws.

Birdnuts

gunny123 wrote: »

Doesn't the eu-ssr not have a rule to say you cannot shoot crows, magpies and other rubbish during some months of the year ?

The derogations as posted here from time to time allow the control of them year round if they are causing damage to crops,livestock etc.