The varied and colorful droppings of the ubiquitous Northwestern crow are a useful source of information about the eclectic nature of its dietary habits. For those of us with a scatological bent, the seasonal changes and omnivorous habits of this species, Corvous caurinus, are worthy of an Outlet Study. They are one of the most adaptable of birds, their success based on diet and opportunism. Our table-toilet for crows are three Western Red Cedar trees over a large painted deck that receives the guano under study and since we live in isolation in the country we have turned misfortune into fortune. The volume and character of the droppings change remarkably through the seasons, both from the trees and the anuses.
As I clear the tree droppings on the deck and its furniture daily with my gas powered blower I observe small cones, lichen,and moss fragments arising from the crow"s housekeeping ,the small red squirrel scratching and the seasonal needle drop. In the spring small dead cedar branches are ripped from the tree by the crows for nest repair and are often dropped or dismissed for being unsuitable. When I have rid the deck of tree detritus, I then have the opportunity to investigate the associated scat and sticky food leftovers, clam shells, half eaten cherries and red plums that have slipped through their toes after initially pinioned on the branch; naked cherry and plum stones, flesh successfully eaten in full, scat from the diet of clams and tube worms, small birds, even baby quail, pear and apple fragments, all leave a colorful digested deposit; brown and crunchy, smooth or particulate, black and punctate, white and thin and watery, all with interesting textural variety and compelling graphic intricacies within the scat splat ; Rorschach like in nature: all scat pockmarking the deck with remarkable tenacity. I felt I was engaging in the old outmoded medical science of Poopology.
The gas hose sprayer was not enough, A stiff brush and elbow grease and spray was needed. After that the glass top table and chairs were an equal target and equally tenaciously adhered to their prize. I suppose if you are willing to pay the price for eating in pristine territory under spreading cedar trees in what is crow territory with orchard and ocean free range, you better never resent blowing brushing and spraying. Besides between the scat and the daily water the trees that are the table-toilet are of equal benefit .
As I clear the tree droppings on the deck and its furniture daily with my gas powered blower I observe small cones, lichen,and moss fragments arising from the crow"s housekeeping ,the small red squirrel scratching and the seasonal needle drop. In the spring small dead cedar branches are ripped from the tree by the crows for nest repair and are often dropped or dismissed for being unsuitable. When I have rid the deck of tree detritus, I then have the opportunity to investigate the associated scat and sticky food leftovers, clam shells, half eaten cherries and red plums that have slipped through their toes after initially pinioned on the branch; naked cherry and plum stones, flesh successfully eaten in full, scat from the diet of clams and tube worms, small birds, even baby quail, pear and apple fragments, all leave a colorful digested deposit; brown and crunchy, smooth or particulate, black and punctate, white and thin and watery, all with interesting textural variety and compelling graphic intricacies within the scat splat ; Rorschach like in nature: all scat pockmarking the deck with remarkable tenacity. I felt I was engaging in the old outmoded medical science of Poopology.
The gas hose sprayer was not enough, A stiff brush and elbow grease and spray was needed. After that the glass top table and chairs were an equal target and equally tenaciously adhered to their prize. I suppose if you are willing to pay the price for eating in pristine territory under spreading cedar trees in what is crow territory with orchard and ocean free range, you better never resent blowing brushing and spraying. Besides between the scat and the daily water the trees that are the table-toilet are of equal benefit .
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