Game of Crows………………continued.

Over the last 10 years I have been observing a pair of Carrion Crow that held a territory in Whitehead Meadow and the surrounding area (including the garden).

Any other Corvid (Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie etc.) that ventured to feed in their territory were quickly chased off.

It has not always been the same birds present over the years as at one point the male disappeared and was replaced by another male and I assume that this could have happened more than once and also maybe the female.

Most years only one young was raised with at least 2 years with no young.

Back in mid-December last year another pair of Crows appeared and there was a violent confrontation.

Since that time Crows have been markedly absent from the meadow and garden area with only minimal sightings and no aggression to other Corvids.

Subsequently other Corvids are now seen feeding regularly in the meadow and garden. The Church road Rookery is close to the garden and there is a small colony of Jackdaw nesting at the other end of the meadow and these seem to have the freedom to forage more openly in the area now.

Even a pair of Jay have moved in to the area this year and can be heard regularly nearby.

I am unsure of what has now happened, maybe the resident pair of Crows now have different territorial responsibilities due to another pair nearby, or have they been completely ousted?

But it obviously leaves a vacuum in this area for another pair of Crows. What has changed in the Corvid dynamics of the area?

All photos from the garden

 Carrion Crow

 The Fight

 Jackdaw

 Rook

 Magpie

Jay