Thanks for your note, Anne, and for putting the crows viewpoint out there. I didn't mean to disrespect the crows - I find them fascinating, and often spend an hour or more watching hundreds of them on a discarded produce pile at a pig farm near here. There are ravens as well, and it is a great opportunity to study both species as they interact. My intent was to say that I'd be watching the owl for behavioral clues; my choice of words was poor. You are right that we humans tend to side with the one with the "kids;" I find that I usually root for the smaller species as well - but I do love to see a raptor tear apart and consume prey!
Mona Bearor So. Glens Falls, NY On 2/16/2013 3:18 PM, Anne Clark wrote: > > Right--and come mid-April, some person might just pick up a partly > eaten, headless, tagged female crow under her nest and think...it was > her first nest--what a short life, only 5 years, her nestlings gone, > too! She could have had 6 more years at least, or more. > > Boredom probably doesn't describe why the crows leave off (have seen > them harrying owls for at least 6 hours)...nor a lack of memory for > why they start over the next day. The crows aren't moving on...they > are trying to move a dangerous thing out of their neighborhood, where > their own kids need a chance at life. > > Yup--I took the bait. The story is all in your perspective, but I > always find US interesting in siding with the one who has the kids at > the time! > > Holding no grudges against owl-lovers, > > Anne > > > > > > On Feb 16, 2013, at 2:05 PM, Mona Bearor wrote: > >> I'll be thinking of your explaination when I visit the nest again, >> and I'll be watching for that owl to sigh and plan its nightly menu! >> Mona Bearor >> So. Glens Falls, NY >> On 2/16/2013 12:21 PM, [email protected] wrote: >>> I think this is the sort of crap that Great Horned Owls have to put >>> up with, and they get used to it. I suspect that what you saw is >>> probably the pattern. Every day some crow "discovers" the owl, still >>> in the same place on its nest, and raises the alarm, just as it >>> would for an owl roosting in a new spot every day. All the other >>> crows join in for awhile, so the whole crow community is aware of >>> its presence, and the younger crows learn, "We don't like these >>> guys." When they're satisfied and bored with lack of reaction from >>> the owl on the nest, they move on. The owl sighs, reminds itself to >>> eat some of those bastards come nightfall, and continues incubating, >>> brooding, or guarding its young. >>> --Dave Nutter >>> >>> On Feb 15, 2013, at 06:29 PM, Mona Bearor <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Yesterday morning I observed about 50 crows mobbing a Great Horned >>>> Owl on a nest. It made me wonder if the crows could make the owl >>>> abandon the nest with repeated harassment, or if they would just >>>> give up after a while. I had an appointment so I couldn't stick >>>> around too long, but did watch this behavior for over 20 minutes >>>> non-stop. The owl was still on the nest today. >>>> >>>> Any thoughts on this? >>>> Mona Bearor So. Glens Falls, NY >>>> >>>> -- >>>> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* >>>> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> >>>> Rules and Information >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> >>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >>>> *Archives:* >>>> The Mail Archive >>>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >>>> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >>>> BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> >>>> *Please submit your observations to eBird >>>> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* >>>> -- >>> -- >>> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* >>> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> >>> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >>> *Archives:* >>> The Mail Archive >>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >>> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >>> BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> >>> *Please submit your observations to eBird >>> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* >>> -- >> >> -- >> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* >> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> >> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> *Archives:* >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >> BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> >> *Please submit your observations to eBird >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* >> -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
