I have read and seen videos where poultry farmers take wood ashes out to the chicken & turkey coops for the birds to dust in. They said it helps to rid themselves of ticks and lice. If I saw birds in the wild doing this, I would probably assume the same thing was going on. But stealing the shinny black rocks, I would think is just typical of crows stealing shinny objects. Disclaimer: I am no Ornithologist!
Randy
Crows on the Ash Pile
- Sunny Boy
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Since not all do it, maybe it's just a case of some birds do wacky things ?
About 10-11 years ago, we had a female Cardinal that would daily attack it's reflection in my, and my neighbors, car side mirrors. She had quite the sharp beak because she put a few scratches in them.
Got so bad that the neighbor took to hanging dish towels over the mirrors whenever their car was parked in the yard.
We just started calling her, "Mrs. Magoo ".
She only did that for one summer, but ever since then any pair of Cardinals at our bird feeder have been referred to as Mr. & Mrs. Magoo.
Paul
About 10-11 years ago, we had a female Cardinal that would daily attack it's reflection in my, and my neighbors, car side mirrors. She had quite the sharp beak because she put a few scratches in them.
Got so bad that the neighbor took to hanging dish towels over the mirrors whenever their car was parked in the yard.
We just started calling her, "Mrs. Magoo ".
She only did that for one summer, but ever since then any pair of Cardinals at our bird feeder have been referred to as Mr. & Mrs. Magoo.
Paul
- VigIIPeaBurner
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They no only scratch, but the defecate on anything and smear it around in an attempt to show to what extremes they'll go to be king of the mirror! This same Cardinal behaviour has been going on at work for over 10 years. Both males and females spend the sunny hours banging and smearing the windows. Bird brains!Sunny Boy wrote:Since not all do it, maybe it's just a case of some birds do wacky things ?
About 10-11 years ago, we had a female Cardinal that would daily attack it's reflection in my, and my neighbors, car side mirrors. She had quite the sharp beak because she put a few scratches in them.
...8<--->8...Paul
- Sunny Boy
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- Posts: 25567
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
- Location: Central NY
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
- Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
- Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace
There's a sale on dish towels at Wal Mart !VigIIPeaBurner wrote:They no only scratch, but the defecate on anything and smear it around in an attempt to show to what extremes they'll go to be king of the mirror! This same Cardinal behaviour has been going on at work for over 10 years. Both males and females spend the sunny hours banging and smearing the windows. Bird brains!Sunny Boy wrote:Since not all do it, maybe it's just a case of some birds do wacky things ?
About 10-11 years ago, we had a female Cardinal that would daily attack it's reflection in my, and my neighbors, car side mirrors. She had quite the sharp beak because she put a few scratches in them.
...8<--->8...Paul
Paul