Jackdaws and their love of peas!

[sincerity]

First of all, I feel guilty calling Jackdaws pests. I have so much love and respect for corvids, I find their ways entertaining and their intelligence quite astounding - but here goes. Jackdaws love peas, they seem to recognize a pea seedling as soon as the forked shoot appears through the ground. If peas are not covered at this stage and there is a healthy jackdaw population nearby, then a number of pea seedlings will be excavated. Jackdaws do not attack seedlings once they are some 3 inches tall - it is as if they know at this point that the pea seed below has disintegrated. However, don't be complacent, you're not out of the woods yet. Jackdaws watch the plants and once the peas enlarge within the pods, they appear quite visible with sunlight behind them. Jackdaws will then jump up at the pods, slashing at the end tips of the pods, taking the peas. The pods remain attached to the plant, peas remain in the top of the pod, but the bottom end of the pod is missing -as are the peas, and a number of slash marks are visible on the remaining part of the pod. I mostly plant pea plants out once about 3 inches tall and make sure that when the pods are filling that I cover the plants with enviromesh. Luckily Jackdaws are distracted by quiche, ham, chocolate and biscuits!

[Nature's Babe]

Hello Sincerity, a lovely post, which I enjoyed reading. We have a lot of Jackdaws here where I live too, lots of sheep and pasture around which they like, they sometimes scold me when I hang my washing out, but because we have a few cats my peas seem safe. I do keep them under cloches for a while after plantng though. I have been picking the autumn sown peas for a couple of weeks now. I notice you are new here, welcome.

[Geoff]

Much as I admire them also I think most of the corvids are pests that have reached too high a population - nobody stones the crows any more. Jackdaws also pull up Broad Beans.

[Nature's Babe]

Broad beans too? Luckily last autumn i covered mine with an enviromesh tent, and it stopped snow damage and any possible corvid damage, they are about 4-5 foot high and in full flower now.

[Primrose]

We don't seem to have any jackdaws in our immediate vicinity which I'm rather sad about as I'd happily swap them for the increasing number of ferral pigeons which seem to be appearing.

But there's a outdoor cafe on the Eastbourne promenande which we visit regularly when visiting that part of Sussex where the jackdaws have got stealing food from tables down to a fine art. Sandwich crusts, chips, crumbs, half drunk cups of tea or coffee, dregs of tomato ketchups are all scooped up with equal enthusiasm. Even empty crisp packets are thoroughly investigated.

If one ignores the hygiene side of this, it's fasciating just to sit there and watch them. The moment somebody vacates an outdoor table, they're down to see what they can find. . In fact, they'll often even come down to forage while you're still at the table. Leftover chips are definitely their favourite food if they can get them.