Crows

[Jim Katen]

Hey O'Handley, the next Science Pub will be about crows:

http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepubhillsboro

Any questions you want me to ask when I'm there?

[gtblum]

Scientists and observant naturalists who study crows and ravens often end up believing that the birds are able to identify them as an individual person, but it was not until the last few years that anyone actually tested the birds’ abilities. Researchers in Seattle and Salem, where rapid suburban (human) growth has promoted population growth of crows, researchers from the University of Washington and Willamette University have found that the American Crows can distinguish individual human faces from those in a crowd.

I know someone who rehabbed a juvenile and then set it free. It knew the guy's truck, where he hunted deer, and drove the guy nuts hanging out with him while he hunted out of a tree stand.

[hausdok]

Nah,

I'm good. I could go on for hours about Poe's abilities and most folks would think I've been drinking. We really loved that little guy and missed him a lot when he eventually became wild. If you can find it, pick up a copy of In the Company of Crows and Ravens by John M. Marzluff and Tony Angell. It's a good read.

I turn sixty tonight at midnight. Will my teeth automatically fall out and my pants ride about six inches higher? My wife's preparing the extra bedroom just in case. If I turn into a geezer and start smelling like urine-soaked cloth I'm going to be sleeping in there with the dog as my only company, I guess.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Nolan Kienitz]

I turn sixty tonight at midnight. Will my teeth automatically fall out and my pants ride about six inches higher? My wife's preparing the extra bedroom just in case. If I turn into a geezer and start smelling like urine-soaked cloth I'm going to be sleeping in there with the dog as my only company, I guess.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

I think you are good ... for now. Probably at least 18 more months. []

I got two years on you Mike and I haven't slipped off the end ... yet!

Happy Birthday [:-party]

[Jim Katen]

. . . I turn sixty tonight at midnight. Will my teeth automatically fall out and my pants ride about six inches higher? My wife's preparing the extra bedroom just in case. If I turn into a geezer and start smelling like urine-soaked cloth I'm going to be sleeping in there with the dog as my only company, I guess.

My guess is that she'll keep the dog away from you so it won't learn bad habits.

You outlived Tata:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00860.html

[charlieb]

Crows?

I'll stick with my dogs and the kid's recent addition of a Bearded Dragon.

Had my 50th on Wednesday. The shindig is tonight.

[Mark P]

Happy Birthday Mike!

[Marc]

Happy 60th Mike!

Marc

[John Kogel]

60 isn't old anymore, it's middle-aged. Happy Birthday, Mike.

[Chad Fabry]

Happy Birthday, Mike! You and my mother make the day special.

[Erby]

Happy Birthday. Dirt's another year older and so are you!

-

[Terence McCann]

Happy B-Day Mike!

60 isn't old (if you're a tree)

Happy 50th as well Charlie.

Bunch of old farts around here.

[Phillip]

Happy B-day Mike. hope you get some. Cake that is.

Late B-day to you too Charlie.

[Bain]

Happy Birthday, Mikey. Have a groooovy day.

[hausdok]

Thanks All!

Interesting story about the old crow, Jim. I wonder if one of those guys on the lines down by the old place every monrning is Poe?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jim Morrison]

Happy Birthday Cousin!

[Richard Moore]

Happy Birthday Mike. Your full membership in the Club for Old Curmudgeons is now confirmed (your previous honorary status is terminated).

[Brandon Whitmore]

Happy B- days Mike and Charlie....

[Jim Katen]

Thanks All!

Interesting story about the old crow, Jim. I wonder if one of those guys on the lines down by the old place every monrning is Poe?

I'll bet that if you went down there with a bag of corn nuts, you'd find out pretty quick. Don't bring the Peanut, though, the crows might think he's another treat.

[kurt]

I confine my crow activity to eating it.

I miss the crows. West Nile took them all out around here; since then, there's a bloom of squirrel activity. Supposedly, rabbit populations benefited also.

Any similar activity elsewhere?

[Jim Katen]

I confine my crow activity to eating it.

I miss the crows. West Nile took them all out around here; since then, there's a bloom of squirrel activity. Supposedly, rabbit populations benefited also.

Any similar activity elsewhere?

I think the Oregon crow population is holding steady - just my personal observation though. I don't know of any statistics.

About 20 years ago, we'd get these enormous flocks of thousands of the things in my walnut orchard. The trees and the ground would be literally covered with crows and their chatter was loud enough to drive you crazy. That hasn't happened in a long time, but then the walnut trees are now over 116 years old and they don't produce as much as they used to.

[kurt]

Crows pecking and eating black walnuts? That's wild.

It's really hard picking black walnut meats.

[Bill Kibbel]

I confine my crow activity to eating it.

I miss the crows. West Nile took them all out around here; since then, there's a bloom of squirrel activity. Supposedly, rabbit populations benefited also.

Any similar activity elsewhere?

No. There's more crows around here the past couple years than I've seen in my life.

[kurt]

That's heartening. What's the bad side of crow, other than eating it?

Do crows have a bad side? I mean, other than lice and stuff......

[Jim Katen]

Crows pecking and eating black walnuts? That's wild.

It's really hard picking black walnut meats.

No, they're English walnuts. Much thinner shell. The crows crack it without any problem.

I have one black walnut tree on my property. I've never been able to get any meat out of the nuts. I can only crack them by driving over them with the car.