A kind of telepathy....with a Crow

[Catherine]

Congrats on a mouse free night. Was that because you are mouse free or are they giving you a night off?

Wow! You were up before Koori. Maybe he wanted to let you sleep. Possibly he can tell when you are tired.
I bet he is on time tomorrow.

I can nap anywhere, anytime. On the subway or bus I lightly doze. I did a very short semi sleep in front of a show I was watching. If I am really tired I can do a deep sleep in the afternoon.     You could say it keeps me up late if I sleep, but we both know I am up late anyhow.

[Tobi]

Haha....well it's a bit off-topic (nothing to do with Crows)...but I got the 19th mouse (!) out safely at 1am on Friday morning. It felt like a bit of an 'expedition' taking him out at that silly o clock time. I slept like a log afterwards.

Koori now comes to his name. He still follows me along the lane when I visit Sally and waits for me coming back.
Late this afternoon, he had come to visit and we were having a conversation (in clicking noises) when another Crow came into the adjacent Ash tree. Then Koori shut up and didn't want to talk to me any more and went very still.
The two of them hung about like that near each other for a few minutes, then took off together.
I am wondering if Koori has found a Crow friend or mate.....

[Catherine]

That must be the last mouse. There can't be more. At least it is getting warmer for your late night mouse expeditions.


So Koori it is then. He must like the name. Interesting that he wouldn't talk to you in front of another crow.
Perhaps he was being polite. You wouldn't understand anything he would say to the other crow and the crow wouldn't understand anything he would say to you.

It would be nice if Koori has found a friend/mate. He sounds like a fine crow and he deserves a family of his own.

[LPC]

Tobi, if the mice continue to disturb your sleep, it is possible to get an electronic device which emits high frequency sounds inaudible to the human ear. It does not harm the mice at all, but they don't like the noise and move on somewhere else. We had to put one into our cellar a few years ago, when we had too many "uninvited guests". I can send you details if you wish.

[Tobi]

That is a good idea LPC, thank you.
But about the frequency noise...I am unsure. I can hear things like that and they disturb me. I can clearly hear (and sense) cat repellent electronic sounds. Now a mouse one, I might not be able to hear....but I don't know until I've tried it of course, and then it might be too late to send it back and get a refund? Unless there is a company which will let you try them and send back if you're not happy.....

My usual trick is, I don't set the bin-trap for a few days to give myself a break. Then when I'm feeling well-rested I set it. Literally it would be possible to leave that mouse in the bin for 8-9 hours but I find I can't do that. I feel sorry for it and how scared it must be, so like to re-locate a mouse as soon as possible. Usually I get a 'second wind' comes on me and I trundle down the road in the dead of night. Then crash out when I get home.

Last night I didn't set the trap. But unfortunately was wakened at dawn by Jackdaws starting to chuck sticks down my chimney! I got up snappish and lit a fire to put them off.
Koori wasn't involved. I gave him a tiny Tahini sandwich this morning at 7 30. I have no idea how Crows deal with Tahini! But it is hilarious watching dogs dealing with it! Misty loved it but was licking for England! haha

[Catherine]

I understand that the high frequency sound works. I think it didn't work for us because the mice were coming from the other side of a duplex. They came, they destroyed and then they went back. We didn't get rid of them until they gutted the other side of the house and cleared the mice out.

I don't know if the human ear responds to the sound or not. I don't think they are too expensive. You could try one in the kitchen.
Your system is working though even though it is slow and you still have the mouse to take care of.

So why would the Jackdaws drop sticks down your chimney? Maybe it is some kind of bird game.
Too bad they did it when you needed sleep.

Did Koori like the Tahini? It has a bitter taste, but I like it. I had a house guest who went into my kitchen to make a snack and came back and told me I had the worst peanut butter she had ever tasted. Since I had emptied the peanut butter earlier and hadn't opened the new jar I wondered what she had eaten. My unlabeled jar of Tahini of course.(I sometimes buy tahini from bulk barn in plastic tubs) You would think the lack of a label would be enough incentive for her to ask  me if it was peanut butter.

[Tobi]

The Jackdaws were doing their usual "Spring Thing". They start throwing tiny sticks down the chimney any time from end of March to Easter or thereabouts, sometimes until the end of April.
They are trying to fill the chimney hole with sticks, to make a nest, and should never be underestimated. Birds are hard workers. I saw a picture once on a chimney cleaning site when the whole chimney cavity was blocked with sticks! If they drop enough of them down there, they can block the whole chimney.

The answer of course is to have a chimney pot replacement, cowl and bird guard fitted. I resent having to pay £250 or more, and prefer to light a smoky fire which puts them off! As a last resort I send the rods and brush up to clear the chimney. But it means I have to keep an eye on what's going on, for a few weeks every Spring.
Jackdaws are intelligent, so half a dozen fires lit in the early morning is usually enough to show them it's not a good nesting place.

Fortunately I got a morning off from that too today! And ddidn't wake up until nearly nine o clock!  

I always hear any of those electronic noises which are meant for creatures. I don't want to risk buying a frequency noise-thing and then it driving me nuts. It would have to be inside the house too. If it were out in the shed it might be less troublesome for me.

[Catherine]

Quote:I always hear any of those electronic noises which are meant for creatures. I don't want to risk buying a frequency noise-thing and then it driving me nuts. It would have to be inside the house too. If it were out in the shed it might be less troublesome for me.

I don't think I could hear them, but I think it bothered me. I hid them in a cupboard(unused) and later threw them out. They were my landlord's idea.

So any unused chimney would end up as a jackdaw nest. They would just keep filling it until it would hold a nest.
Your method of stopping them seems effective enough. Certainly it is cheaper that capping the chimney. They will give up when they realize that you are using your chimney regularly.

It was good of them to let you sleep at least one morning.

[Tobi]

Haha! Well they dropped 2 sticks down there and I didn't hear them this morning. I put the rods and brush up to be on the safe side, but nothing else came down (except soot!)

Koori followed me again half way to Sally's this morning. I think I might be able to show him how to count in English. We will see how that goes.....

[Catherine]

Now if only you could train the jackdaws to bring you sticks to use as kindling. That would be helpful.

Quote:Koori followed me again half way to Sally's this morning. I think I might be able to show him how to count in English. We will see how that goes.....

I will be interested to see how it goes. Crows are smart about numbers. They are smart about words. Do you have a plan for teaching Koori?