Stone The Crows!

[plachon]

I've been round Isaan for a few years (15ish) and this year have noticed more crows about than I can ever remember. Is this just me, or are there really more crows around? In which case, I wonder what could be the cause of this revival, when every other bird seems to be on the verge of extinction or gone already (with the notable exception of mynahs and spudgies).

Twitchers?

[Rinrada]

Stone The Crows......takes me back...

Used to be a famous pop/blues group back in the late 60s -70s.

It was fronted by Maggie Bell,real raunchy lady and Les harvey (who got electrocuted one night while testing the sound system)

His brouther was Alex Harvey who also had a well known band...

She (maggie) went on to be the "Acid Queen"in the stage version of the rock opera "Tommy" and also did the theme song on "Taggert".....well well.......or rather Stone the c......dark nights in seedy Glasgow pubs.......

Re... birds in Issarn...sorry no idea...

[Jeff1]

I havent noticed any . Where are you ?

If you want crows go to Tokyo , they will drive you crazy there .

[plachon]

I havent noticed any . Where are you ?

If you want crows go to Tokyo , they will drive you crazy there .

I'm in Khon Kaen, but travel regularly round central and northern Isaan, and have spotted crows at several locations, where previously they were absent.

I've never been to Tokyo and have no plans for going, so won't be driven crazy for the while, but I did notice a plethora of the nok dam in Colombo, Sri Lanka a few years ago. They were so common, that when the Tigers let off a deadly suicide bomb at the President's rally and killed some 20 persons, the crows did a pretty good job at cleaning up the left over body parts sprayed over the scene, that the emergency services left behind. Because of this carrion clearing service, I guess they nowadays fill the niche of the absent vultures in Isaan, and there's no shortage of dogs splattered on the roads for them to pick at.

But how they survive the guns and slingshots, is the mystery?

And thanks for the little saunter down memory lane Rin. I'm more into the Black Crows and Sheryl Crow meself, but I'll save the trivia for another day..........

[ShingDam]

Hello plachon,

whatever but in fact there are more than usually in former years, i noticed it and i am suprised by your post.

You see i hate crows and i worry about my goats (they fly around my shelter) because i have kidding season and the last what i could need is a crow problem which hunt the newborns or the placentas.

Somebody know how to deal with that problem if it gets one without a gun ?!?!

Greetings

Frank

[bina]

hi shin...

we hang a dead crow in several strategic areas ... they stay away .... also, they are really quick learners.... we used to aim with a slingshot, now , we just raise our hands and they go... they steal our dogs' food, and the emu's food (he eats dog chow also), '

the dead crow works but people here get very upset when they see that so we have to remove it and replace in the evening when now people around the zoo area

they hassle our mara babies (cavia patagonia guinea pigs) but dont go near the goats... also we are in the beginning of the season but i lock them in at night (the does) close to birthing time since weasels, etc love the placentas and babies also...

had a weasel walk in to my office two days ago!!!, we looked at eachother, i shut one door, S. (thai worker) shut the outer door, and the hunt was on....

10 thai workers got to make issaan style weasel for dinner

the weasel and her family have killed most of my 'arab' chickens (lke thai chickens, not the stupid white ones) and wild turkeys (its winter i guess hunting is slim so farms are easy pickings... )

grrrrrr!!!!!!!

crows are oppurtunistic so they have obviously filled the niches of all other issaan birds.... we have the same thing here plachon , the kibbutz used to have singing birds etc, now only the black ones (ravens, crows , jays... not sure which exactly) every where... we even pay the thai workers per bird to hunt them (they are on the red list of pest animals permitted to be hunted) ... but the thai dont like to eat them, they say they are bad luck....

Edited January 16, 2006 by bina

[ShingDam]

thank you for the advise (hangig dead crows around my land) it really would not be only a prefention against crows, it would hold unwanted thaivisitors away to

@bina

Glad to have you back !

[plachon]

hi shin...

we hang a dead crow in several strategic areas ... they stay away .... also, they are really quick learners.... we used to aim with a slingshot, now , we just raise our hands and they go... they steal our dogs' food, and the emu's food (he eats dog chow also), '

the dead crow works but people here get very upset when they see that so we have to remove it and replace in the evening when now people around the zoo area

they hassle our mara babies (cavia patagonia guinea pigs) but dont go near the goats... also we are in the beginning of the season but i lock them in at night (the does) close to birthing time since weasels, etc love the placentas and babies also...

had a weasel walk in to my office two days ago!!!, we looked at eachother, i shut one door, S. (thai worker) shut the outer door, and the hunt was on....

10 thai workers got to make issaan style weasel for dinner

the weasel and her family have killed most of my 'arab' chickens (lke thai chickens, not the stupid white ones) and wild turkeys (its winter i guess hunting is slim so farms are easy pickings... )

grrrrrr!!!!!!!

crows are oppurtunistic so they have obviously filled the niches of all other issaan birds.... we have the same thing here plachon , the kibbutz used to have singing birds etc, now only the black ones (ravens, crows , jays... not sure which exactly) every where... we even pay the thai workers per bird to hunt them (they are on the red list of pest animals permitted to be hunted) ... but the thai dont like to eat them, they say they are bad luck....

Hi Bina,

Personally, I'm quite glad to see a crow revival in numbers, as birds are just so scarce in general, although I would like to know the reason - are so many Isaan workers in Israel, Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok etc., that the hunting pressure is easing off, in which case other birds should start to show signs of recovery before long, or is there another reason behind it?

As for your singing bird dearth Bina, are you sure it's not cos the workers are taking more than their quota of black 'uns and just not telling you about it? I read once how zoos had been raided and even national parks cleared of their wild game, by the ingenious Thai workers in the moshav and farms just beyond the boundary! From what I observe daily, if you give an Isaan worker a slingshot and instructions just to kill the crows(Ee-gaa), he's going to have troubles controlling himself, even when a beautiful, rare kingfisher or goldfinch flys onto the scene. They're bloody good shots too!

So maybe you've been maligning the weasels and should be looking for a bigger culprit, with a soft-spot for chilli and raw papaya! You give it away, when you mentioned that those Arab chooks, even look like Thai chooks! And as for wild turkeys, they're irresistable (as laab!).

To Shingdam, I too used to keep a few goats, but never had any trouble with crows. But there were always a bunch of guys queuing up to get at the placenta (nong), every time one gave birth.

[ShingDam]

I only worry cuz there is much work in my project