In Defence of Crows

[old man emu]

This year's rice crop in the Riverina might be lost due to ducks. A count in 2021 put their numbers at about one million, which was bearable. However, the floods of 2022 resulted in a population explosion and numbers are now estimated at four million. Apparently the ducks can destroy a complete bay of growing rice plants in a night. The usual deterrents like flashing lights and gas guns don't seem to have any effect to keep them away.

 

The Victorian government shortened the duck hunting season this year, for reasons I'll let you decide. I doubt if the usual numbers of duck hunters would have done much to reduce that 4 million population. I wonder how the vegans of Victoria will get on in 2024 when supplies of brown rice are low due to the duck's destruction of the crop.

 

 

[facthunter]

Your point being? Birds destroy many crops. I doubt Ducks are anything like the most destructive.  They must serve some purpose other than Being blasted out of the sky  for the fun of it.  About the normal amount arrived here this year. They graze on many grasses..  Nev

[spacesailor]

I enjoy a lovely roast duck dinner! .

spacesailor

[onetrack]

Start eating then, Spacey! 1 down, 3,999,999 to go!!  

 

I can recall when the Ord River farming area growers set out to grow rice, because the Ord River farming area is superb for growing rice, with massive water supplies, and a hot climate.

 

But as soon as the growers planted rice, the Magpie Geese turned up in their thousands and totally decimated the rice crops overnight. That was the end of the rice-growing on the Ord.

 

So then the growers went over to Sorghum growing - and guess what? Magpie Geese love sorghum, too!

They don't affect it hugely if its standing, but if any of the Sorghum gets knocked down a bit by storms, the Magpie Geese have a feast.

 

Surprisingly, they found they could "muster" them out of the Sorghum with a chopper.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-11-08/magpie-geese-mustered-by-crop-chopper-in-kimberleys-ord/9129542

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

Your point being?

Actually I was having a dig at the usual suspects who care more for animals which destroy our food than their fellow humans. Those "usual suspects" live in cities and are consumers of agricultural produce, not producers. What would they do if those involved in agriculture demanded people stop using scarce resources to build office tower blocks and to generate the electricity to run them? 

 

I'm all for conservation of our unique flora and fauna, but if something goes out of balance steps must be taken to reinstate the equilibrium.

[Marty_d]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

Start eating then, Spacey! 1 down, 3,999,999 to go!!  

 

I can recall when the Ord River farming area growers set out to grow rice, because the Ord River farming area is superb for growing rice, with massive water supplies, and a hot climate.

 

But as soon as the growers planted rice, the Magpie Geese turned up in their thousands and totally decimated the rice crops overnight. That was the end of the rice-growing on the Ord.

 

So then the growers went over to Sorghum growing - and guess what? Magpie Geese love sorghum, too!

They don't affect it hugely if its standing, but if any of the Sorghum gets knocked down a bit by storms, the Magpie Geese have a feast.

 

Surprisingly, they found they could "muster" them out of the Sorghum with a chopper.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-11-08/magpie-geese-mustered-by-crop-chopper-in-kimberleys-ord/9129542

Sooo... what do Magpie Geese taste like, then?  Sounds better than rice or sorghum!

[Marty_d]

No wonder the population explodes.  The mother duck on our dam has 5 ducklings (down from 11, she's not much of a mother).

But ducks can lay eggs for about 8 years.

So to maintain a population each breeding pair only has to produce 2 viable ducklings which live to adulthood, in their life.  Anything more than that and the population increases.  If this one's average is maintained at 5 per year for her entire breeding life, that's 40, or 20 times more than she needs.

[onetrack]

Magpie Goose dumpling velly good!!

 

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/magpie-goose-dumplings/pgm6is30c

[onetrack]

Yeah, they can breed up pretty rapidly, that's for sure. But predators must get a lot of them - foxes, hawks, feral cats, the list is lengthy.

[Bruce Tuncks]

Nowadays the area is devoid of rice  and geese. I personally would have allowed geese to be harvested along with the rice.

This was the area near Darwin.

 

[spacesailor]

In the fifties the kids ,were catching geese  for the shop-owner , who wrung their necks very. Quickly. 

He then sold the goose back to our mothers , who took that " penny reward  " off us to pay for what we had caught . NO " ration stamps " used .

spacesailor

[Marty_d]

12 hours ago, spacesailor said:

In the fifties the kids ,were catching geese  for the shop-owner , who wrung their necks very. Quickly. 

He then sold the goose back to our mothers , who took that " penny reward  " off us to pay for what we had caught . NO " ration stamps " used .

spacesailor

Soooo... you catch the goose, you get paid 1 penny by the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper sold it to your mother (for more than 1 penny) and your mother took your penny off you anyway.

 

Why didn't you just give the goose to your mother and save money?

[onetrack]

Because he set out on a path to gain some personal wealth, but failed to understand he could be robbed by those closest to him! 

[facthunter]

Ducks are 99% oil I reckon. They are nice little fella's around the place and do fertilise the ground well.  Nev

[spacesailor]

We got more geese than we told mum.

SO had a couple of pennies left. Geese shit like ( small ) dogs . Thro Not small enough.  LoL

AND mums  do Not wring any ones neck ( lucky me )  but will sit over a bucket to pluck those feathers off the dinner ingredient.  ( didn't like ripping the skin off the bunny rabbits) .

spacesailor

 

[facthunter]

The rabbits don't like it either.  Nev

[spacesailor]

I didn't like putting my hand up the arse of the chickens,  rabbits,  or whatever needed its guts pulled out . But " such is life " .

spacesailor

[Marty_d]

Let's hope life had fled before your hand approached the fundamental orifice!

[spacesailor]

Rabbits are ' easier ' skined when still Warm .LoL . ( with those innards IN ) .

spacesailor

[willedoo]

For anyone with a few birds around the place, I'd highly recommend setting up a bird bath. I get a lot of joy from watching the various birds drink and bathe in mine. It's a rough piece of gear - not flash at all, but the birds love it. It's basically a steel SHS and mesh frame suspended and cantilevered off the verandah rail, much in the style of a cantilevered planting box. The bath itself is one of those enameled metal wash basins you get from the camping stores, and is held in place by a few bricks which also provide the birds with a base to stand around the rim of the bowl. It's mainly under the verandah eave which gives the smaller birds a sense of security while having a bath and also shade to keep the water cool. There's no guttering on the verandah roof, so the bowl self fills when it rains as the drip line catches the outer section of the bird bath.

 

The frame it sits on was repurposed from some other intended use. Since the cow died a bit over a year ago, there's no water trough up the top of the block where I live, so the bird bath is the only water source near the house now which increases the amount of bird visits. Previously, most of them used the cow water trough to drink and bath and only a few used the bird bath.  One good aspect with this bird bath is that I can see the birds using it through the kitchen window, so I don't have to risk scaring them off by going out onto the verandah to check them out. Birds are pretty smart though, and the regulars soon learn to trust you and allow you to get a bit closer.

 

I've been keeping a list of the birds that visit it and so far have seen the resident raven, butcher birds, noisy minas, blue faced honeyeaters, friar birds, white naped honeyeaters and brown honeyeaters using it. All the smaller birds jump in, flap their wings then jump out, repeating the process several times. The raven does it differently and just sits in the bath like a human and splashes water over himself. As he takes up most of the bath, I guess his size dictates his bathing style. The smaller birds on the other hand often can't touch bottom so do the repeated plunges. The raven tosses water everywhere when he has a bath so it always needs a refill when he's finished. I'd like to get a video of him bathing as it's it's very comical to watch.

 

[Litespeed]

Here is a regal looking Eastern greater Egret in full breeding plumage and skin tones.

 

Beautiful..

[kgwilson]

And with the ability to walk on walls.

[willedoo]

One of my favourites is the Cattle Egret. I miss seeing them around since my lone cow died a year ago. She had her own personal egret who I had named Ernie. Ernie used to follow her everywhere and sit on her back when she was lying down. I guess Ernie has flown off and found another cow somewhere else.

[red750]

50 minutes ago, Litespeed said:

Here is a regal looking Eastern greater Egret

I flipped the images for you.

 

[spacesailor]

I & the wife ,saw one today , and it's neck was ' wobbling ' ( between) it's head and body ).

Looked strange that the head didn't  move , just that neck, .

spacesailor

PS : also saw a Kookaburra,  an Eastern water dragon And a very large skin. 

Good walk on " settlers walk " .