An irritating encounter!

[gramps]

Whilst waiting for the local small birds to turn up yesterday I was overlooking a field of sheep and there was a large flock of Jackdaws also in the field.
As I watched I could see some of the Jackdaws on the backs and heads of the sheep, my thinking was that the birds were looking for insects/ticks in the wool, however I noticed that several Jackdaws seemed to be very interested in the ear-tags of the sheep.
At first I thought that the birds were attracted to the tags and were trying to pull them off but then I wondered if they were actually trying to pick at the animals ear, where the tag had pierced ... what do you think?

 

[mark richards]

the sheep don't look bothered, seen them collecting wool from the sheeps back in nesting season .

 

[gramps]

the sheep don't look bothered, seen them collecting wool from the sheeps back in nesting season .

The sheep were trying to shake them off.

 

[arthurbikemad]

I had a pet jackdaw for a year, raised from a sick chick, it was an interesting year! I read many studies of them and learned a lot from mine, they are ultra interesting birds, mine was free to come and go as he pleased and his lifestyle was varied to say the least, they are incredibly intelligent, so much so they will leave you speechless at how they can solve problems and learn from you, the learning is passed on from bird to bird and they only need one session! Who know what the interest is in the tags, maybe eating clotted blood, or maybe just interested in the tags, my fellow would steal stuff all the time, if he was unable to get things he wanted he would spend hours trying to figure it out. Great photos, they bring back some great memories of mine, btw, one day, a year later mine flew higher than I had ever seen him fly, then joined with others and never came back.

 

[gramps]

I had a pet jackdaw for a year, raised from a sick chick, it was an interesting year! I read many studies of them and learned a lot from mine, they are ultra interesting birds, mine was free to come and go as he pleased and his lifestyle was varied to say the least, they are incredibly intelligent, so much so they will leave you speechless at how they can solve problems and learn from you, the learning is passed on from bird to bird and they only need one session! Who know what the interest is in the tags, maybe eating clotted blood, or maybe just interested in the tags, my fellow would steal stuff all the time, if he was unable to get things he wanted he would spend hours trying to figure it out. Great photos, they bring back some great memories of mine, btw, one day, a year later mine flew higher than I had ever seen him fly, then joined with others and never came back.

Interesting insight, thanks ... as a young lad I once had a 'pet' pigeon that would fly outside and come down to me when called, same end though, eventually flew off with a flock that went over, never to be seen again

 

[arthurbikemad]

I find it interesting watching the behaviour of such birds, this week I spotted a dead crow, it was hung up high in a pine tree, an hour later about 100 more crows had gathered in and around the tree, they were highly upset at the dead bird and we're going crazy!

Funny about the pigeon, my jackdaw would come if called, we also had an evil dove for a while, that's another story haha..

 

[Jannyfox]

Were they only going for the yellow tags?

 

[gramps]

Were they only going for the yellow tags?

Yes Jan, that seemed to be the case.

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Crazy corvids Arthur's story rings bells here from my old dad, Roger he kept a good few corvids always talked on how bright they are

Mate red and yellow can attract certain species.... think that spot under herring gull's beak ,for the kids to stimualte regurgitation. All phessie/ game/ poultry feeders are these colours. I think Janny is on to something mate as is Art... clever corvids atracted to something "different" and maybe of an appealing colour maybe there is a food option but I think they are simply curious and maybe in jacky land yellow is prized.

Your ss freezes the action, so I can't see the sheep reactions I think that's what Mark picked up on Mate I wouldn't have thought about this while trying to take a shot,but you might have slowed Ss here and got a lot of deletes but the odd frame of magic that told more of a story ...a thought bro nowt more

black bird all but...white sheep all but the exp is ok huh mate

clever sod

take care kiddo

stu

 

[Nod]

It's possible that the orange tags are older so the piercing wounds are completely healed while the yellow tags might be freshly inserted so have (tasty - if you like scabs!) fresh(ish) blood around the wounds.

 

[gramps]

Spoke to one of the reserve wardens today who suggested they were looking for ticks ... saw a Magpie doing it today and it looked as though it was tweaking at the wool around the tag.

 

[gramps]

Oh well, there goes the yellow tag theory!

 

[Jannyfox]

Well, as far as I could see the sheep were going completely unmolested today.

 

[Cobra]

They will pick insects of other animals, rather like the Ox peckers.
I've seen them regularly on the backs of Rhino's at Whipsnade (zoo) .
The problem is ( according to one keeper I spoke to) if they find a wound, they will also peck that.
and they can cause problems with ulcers etc.

 

[gramps]

The problem is ( according to one keeper I spoke to) if they find a wound, they will also peck that.
and they can cause problems with ulcers etc.

Exactly what was happening here, pecking at a wound on its back soon made it jump.