Eyewitness to the truth about the 'carrion' crow

I read with interest the article regarding vermin control on grouse moors (Country Week, July 3). I have often commented on the naming of the carrion crow, it seems an inappropriate name, because more often than not it kills its food before eating it, rather than the woolly idea that they only eat roadkill and animals that have died of natural causes.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Jul 2010, 16:40 BST
Updated 9th Jul 2010, 16:40 BST

We once had a healthy population of hares, we now have none, thanks to crows. I have watched in horror as they pick the leverets up, fly to a height and then drop the poor creatures to the ground. Once dead, they are quickly consumed. We farm sheep, the newborn lambs frequently get their eyes taken out by the crows and the magpies. Likewise, if a ewe is unfortunate to get rigged (stuck on her back) they will be at her eyes very quickly. This year the final straw came when we saw crows mobbing a young barn owl.

We rang the local gamekeeper and he has made some inroads into reducing the crow and magpie population so hopefully the lapwing, curlew, snipe, skylarks and jack snipe chicks might make it to maturity.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gamekeepers and farmers are often accused of causing the reduction of bird populations but your article rightly mentioned many are doing their best to keep the upland birds from being decimated by corvids. I realise nature is cruel but I, and I am sure others, would prefer to listen to the haunting sound of the curlew than the strident caw of a crow.

From: Louise Hobson, Glovershaw Farm, Glovershaw Lane, Eldwick, Bingley.

From: Lyn Hodgson, Dams Lane, Belchford, Horncastle.

I notice your interest in small success stories of sustaining little pockets of true wildlife around the country which is commendable, of course. I travel around and notice peewil (plover) in a field – there used to be flocks of hundreds. Hardly any skylarks ringing their lofty vibrant songs any more. I'm afraid unless we halt the rapidly expanding human population fast there will not be any wildlife left.

No-one ever mentions population control but this is the one and only factor that is causing wildlife decline. More water, more food at any price is demanded year after year, as well as more housing. We should all remember we share this planet.

From: Ken Cooke, Wheatley Road, Ilkley.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Further to the article "How grouse moors help our wading birds thrive" (Country Week, July 3), the main picture with Roger Ratcliffe's article was not a British lapwing or plover.

It appears to be the sociable plover of the central European steppes.

As the report mentions, the main plovers of our uplands are the lapwing (peewit, common plover) and the golden plover.

CW 10/7/10

Related topics:Horncastle