[EBB Sightings] American Crow Leapfrogging Canada Goose

Black walnut seedlings come up in my front yard every year though there
are no black walnuts within 4 blocks of my Old Town Napa house. Many
observations over the years have shown that crows bring the walnuts from
the river, drop them, and the ubiquitous gray squirrels occasionally
steal and bury them. Apparently, the squirrels either don't need or
don't remember them all.


Roger Hartwell
Orinda,
Napa, 


-----Original Message-----
From: sightings-bounces at diabloaudubon.com
[mailto:sightings-bounces at diabloaudubon.com] On Behalf Of Tom Condit
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 10:13 AM
To: Bob Hislop; Art Edwards; Sightings EBB
Subject: Re: [EBB Sightings] American Crow Leapfrogging Canada Goose

Gulls use this technique to crack clam and mussel shells all the time.
That's why you'll find fragments of shell lying around on pavement
(sidewalks, golf cart paths, etc.) near coastal waters.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Bob Hislop 
>Sent: Apr 6, 2009 9:52 AM
>To: Art Edwards , Sightings EBB
>Subject: Re: [EBB Sightings] American Crow Leapfrogging Canada Goose
>I haven't observed this kind of behavior, however I have observed a
fairly 
>creative behavior in (at least) one individual involving cracking
walnuts. 
>We have a walnut tree in our back yard, and every year a crow will come
by, 
>pick up a walnut off the ground, then fly it over the house and land on
a 
>power line over the street. After resting for a few moments on the line
the 
>crow will then fly upward (gaining altitude) and drop the walnut on the

>street (trying to crack the shell). I have observed this creative
behavior 
>several times, especially as I'm backing my car out of the driveway;
and I'm 
>wondering if this intelligent bird is timing this behavior so as to
allow my 
>car to run over and crack the nut!!  I can't imagine any other bird
species 
>being this creative.
>Bob Hislop
>Walnut Creek
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Art Edwards" 
>To: "Sightings EBB" 
>Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 9:21 AM
>Subject: [EBB Sightings] American Crow Leapfrogging Canada Goose
>Yesterday I witnessed what seemed like some very bizarre behavior by an

>American Crow. Two Canada Geese were grazing at the north end of the 
>Springtown Golf Course, in short mowed grass far from any trees or
shrubs. 
>An American Crow was repeatedly jumping over one of the geese, hitting
the 
>goose on the back with its feet on the way.  This happened about 25
times in 
>about five minutes, all silently. The goose seemed oblivious to all
this, 
>only lowering its bill and advancing toward the crow once.  A couple of

>times the crow seemed to stumble upon landing, pitching forward wih its
open 
>bill in the grass, but immediatly recovered, turned, took a couple of
steps, 
>and jumped over the goose again.  The two geese continued to graze,
while 
>walking slowly. In the meantime, I was moving closer for a better look,
and 
>finally, the geese walked away from me, and the crow pecked at the
ground a 
>few times, then flew.  I looked closely at the spot where the crow had 
>pecked, but could find nothing, just short grass with some clover mixed
in, 
>and a few dried-up whitish clover flowers.  Not even any goose
droppings.
>Has anyone ever seen this kind of behavior before?  Can anyone explain
its 
>purpose or significance?  Any thoughts?
>I suppose one possibility is that the crow had been attacked in a
similar 
>manner by a blackbird, which I have seen frequently, and decided to
copy 
>that behavior.
>Art Edwards
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