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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2011 18:14:04 GMT
Well - if it's not badgers ripping up the top lawn every night, causing damage like this - one hole out of many -  - then it's the chicken-pox 'look' of the lawn in the side garden.  But today I found out what's causing it. There's a rookery in the pine trees up the lane - and several rooks have been squawking in the Eucalyptus tree for a while - I saw about 6 of them pecking the grass.  Henry and I dashed out and shooed them off - this one didn't fly away. I followed him up the steps onto the higher lawn, where he tried to hide under the hedge. I left him - maybe he's injured.  My problem is - what to do to keep them off? Are they after worms? Do you think that old CDs attached to canes might scare them away? I thought I'd run a string across the lawn, with dangling CDs. |
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Post by peony on May 17, 2011 18:53:01 GMT
I get green woodpeckers who peck holes in the lawn looking for ants nests, but that's usually later in the year when the grubs are in the nests. I remember years ago when my mother had holes suddenly appear all over her lawn and she found they were caused by burrowing bees  |
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Post by Fractal on May 17, 2011 19:03:53 GMT
It is a young Rook as you say, probably just left the nest. Unlike most Crows, adult Rooks have a bare, unfeathered face. Rook fledglings have the normal crow characteristic of a thick bunch of forward pointing bristles covering the nostrils. They lose these and indeed the feathers around the bill's base after a few months.
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Post by Fractal on May 17, 2011 19:07:04 GMT
Almost certainly leatherjackets though worms will be on the menu if recent rain has brought them to the surface. Maybe they are having to dig that bit deeper.
Rooks are much less carrion eaters than their relatives such as Magpies or Carrion Crows and a very large percentage is made up of insect larvae that they dig up with their stout bill.
The parents will find their chick and feed it. It probably can't fly well yet but if it survives on the ground it has a good chance. A cat or Fox might take it but sadly this is relatively common.
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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2011 19:13:13 GMT
It's been dry for weeks until today, Steve. I know the badgers are digging for chafer grubs, leather jackets or worms. The rooks haven't ever been in my garden before - and they're pecking in a completely different area of the garden from where the badgers dig.
This has been going on for about 2 weeks. I could scream! Do you think the CD idea might work?
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Post by Cherry on May 17, 2011 19:20:34 GMT
Geranium do you have to have a perfect lawn? I have a molehill which looks like a molemountain and the rabbits are scratching great holes in the grass. A lawn would be impossible here. The cats are a help and one even catches moles.
You are right SteveN. It is the magpies that carry off the dead rabbit bits which are left over from the cats kills. The crows eat unmentionables after the dogs have been for a walk. We keep a clean farm here! ;D
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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2011 19:22:37 GMT
It was never a perfect lawn, Cherry, with its dandelions and clover. But with an Open Day in 2 weeks' time, I'd like the garden looking at its best.
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Post by Fractal on May 17, 2011 19:33:21 GMT
Not sure about the cd idea? It works with some birds but unfortunately the whole crow family seem pretty well wired up in the brain dept. and I suspect will see straight through it. Worth a try though.
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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2011 20:06:08 GMT
I'll set it up tomorrow, and report back.
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Post by Fractal on May 17, 2011 20:08:10 GMT
Ok  |
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Post by merlin on May 17, 2011 20:57:29 GMT
Try a Des O'connor record Geranium ;D
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Post by merlin on May 17, 2011 21:08:58 GMT
Apart from a mole I'm lucky in that I don't have probs with the lawn. I do however have Magpie problems. They eat ALL the bird seed and steal the eggs of our C. Doves. Noe they gang up and have injured one of the Doves. After googling Magpie traps £70 I spent this afternoon making one. Tomorrow I'll try it out.
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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2011 21:12:00 GMT
Try a Des O'connor record Geranium ;D Good thinking! ;D Do let me know if the trap works - what are you supposed to do with the bird if you catch it - or do I not want to know? |
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Post by sweetpea on May 17, 2011 21:28:01 GMT
Apart from a mole I'm lucky in that I don't have probs with the lawn. I do however have Magpie problems. They eat ALL the bird seed and steal the eggs of our C. Doves. Noe they gang up and have injured one of the Doves. After googling Magpie traps £70 I spent this afternoon making one. Tomorrow I'll try it out. Ron, you should know better. Birds do not steal. That is a human occupation. They are only doing as is their nature and they have chicks to rear as well. One way of stopping the larger birds from eating the seed you put out is to enclose it with a cage of some sort with access only for the smaller ones. Our leftover catfood and the like is put out for the birds here and we get herring gulls, crows, jackdaws as well as magpies all coming down for their share. Plenty of collared doves here too. |
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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2011 21:34:19 GMT
Sp - is that an answer for my problem? If I put food out for the rooks, would they stop pecking holes?
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