New Threat To Tomatoes Found

[ContainerTed]

Today is a sad day for all tomato growers. This morning, I found these TOMATO BUZZARDS cleaning up the tomato scraps from an area close to my main garden. I usually throw my skins and hybrid tomato seeds and rotted part in an area where my bird buddies can find them and be safe to eat.

These carrion guzzlers are only about 30 feet from my main garden. I'm a nervous wreck right now. The law says I can't (and really shouldn't) kill them. Oh, woe is me.

You know, this might answer some of the reports of folks losing big chunks of their tomatoes.

[gorbelly]

Interesting. Have you actually seen them eating the tomatoes off your plants? I would think they wouldn't do so... unless maybe if they need water?

They are recorded eating plant matter and things like pumpkins, but it's rare that they eat anything but carrion. I wonder whether they might be more attracted to the insects that are attracted to the rotting tomatoes.

[Scooty]

Doesn't surprise me. They have been known to eat veggies from time to time.

BLACK VULTURES FEEDING ON VEGETABLES AND TORTOISE DUNG

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by Scooty

Doesn't surprise me. They have been known to eat veggies from time to time.

BLACK VULTURES FEEDING ON VEGETABLES AND TORTOISE DUNG

Huh. So interesting. Learn something new on this site all the time. Thanks, Scooty!

[PaulF]

All we seem to have around these part are Turkey Buzzards (Vultures). All I ever see them eat is road kill. They provide a real service. You know spring has arrived when the Turkey Vultures show up.

[kchd..]

You know what works marvelously on scaring away vultures? Effigies.
(but please don't go kill a vulture to make one)

[Labradors2]

Ted, I'm sorry that you think the vultures are eating your tomatoes. That wouldn't be fun at all!

We have Turkey Vultures around here and they look positive gargoyle-ish when they perch on barn roofs and hang their wings out to dry! They also perch on all the fence posts - an amazing sight to see!

We have seen flocks of them, on the side of a busy road, eating a deer carcass. The ones that couldn't get to it would sit in a tree and, when a car would go by, the ones eating the carcass would fly up into the tree and, presumably, the ones that didn't get a look in would have another chance when the car had gone.

They look so amazing, high in the sky, drifting around on the air currents.

Linda

[Starlight]

Interesting. Never seen a vulture eat anything but road kill round here.

I wonder if vultures are like crows. I used to have a problem with crows. One day it was so bad. Had a big box of pecans sitting on porch waiting to be sorted. Opened the door and the whole porch was lines with these huge nasty crows making noise. Scared my to pieces. All I could think of was that attack of the birds movie.

With the crows if you make noise, chase after them, throw rocks, nuts, pieces of mulch anything at them, they eventually will stay away. Not only that there is a big nature study that shows not only will they stay away from your place, but that keep out signal is passed on to the young too. They stay out of my yard and gardens now. They will fly on the edges of the property though.

Might give yelling and throwing stuff at them a try. Maybe they will be like the crows and stay away.

Hope they stay away from your main area. Maybe put some pie pans or other noise makers up.

[Gardeneer]

Crows are one of the high IQ birds. Like other birds , they are very cautious and don't want to mess with humans.
Some birds are so shy and cautious that if they found out that you know where their nest is, they will not come back to their nest.

[brownrexx]

I don't think that tomatoes are a preferred for vultures but like any birds, they will eat non preferred foods if their normal food source is not available.

Bluebirds are insect eaters but in the winter they will eat seeds to survive until insects are available again.

My chickens love pecking into my tomatoes. I think that some birds and animals eat them for the moisture but my chickens seem to be going for the seeds although I can't imagine that vulture are looking for seeds. Maybe they are thirsty.

[My Foot Smells]

Fatten them up and then deep fry.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Crows are one of the high IQ birds. Like other birds , they are very cautious and don't want to mess with humans

Crows are pretty amazing. Like many smart social animals, they understand that individual people are different in behavior, and they will have a different level of tolerance for human beings depending on their past experience with individuals or people who remind them of individuals who have made an impression on them in the past. I love having them around. I think they're fascinating neighbors, but most people seem to consider them pests.

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Crows are pretty amazing. I love having them around. I think they're fascinating neighbors, but most people seem to consider them pests.

Amazing???? I guess you mean how I feel when they leave me only one or two apples from my three trees every year. Between them and the squirrels, I have to buy apples to make pies, apple butter, and applesauce.

Having admitted to my hatred of some of their characteristics, I must agree about their smarts. When I was teenager, I was out squirrel hunting when a huge flock of crows landed in the trees above me. I was hunkered down in some brushy saplings that hid my silhouette. They sat in the trees and started "caw-ing". Suddenly they all got quiet for a few seconds. Then, one of the crows became like the leader of the choir. It would make all kinds of caws and other noises and get quiet for about two seconds. Then the rest of the flock (might have been 50 to 100 individuals) would break out in a rush of cawing and noises. It reminded me of Hitler's speeches (we were studying that era in history class at the time). The resemblance to Hitler made me into a "Crow Hater".

With all the time I've spent in the woods since then, I've never seen anything quite like that. It was in the central-western part of Washington County, Virginia. When I told my dad about it, he pulled me to the side and quietly whispered that the crows knew I was there and that they were plotting how to kill me. The one leader crow was asking for ways that the flock could get to me. I don't know how he said that without smiling.

One of my more cherished memories of hunting with my Dad.

[gorbelly]

LOL, Ted.

Yeah, they can be a nuisance. Smart + opportunistic + omnivore very often = headache for humans. But they're one of those animals that make you feel like there's a soul or personality or consciousness (take your pick, depending on your belief system) inside when you have an interaction with them. Even when they frustrate me, I can't help being impressed by them.

Funny how childhood experiences shape our feelings about creatures. I think reading Joan Aiken's stories about Arabel and Mortimer as a kid and then watching the behavior of neighborhood crows predisposed me to look at corvids with affection.

Here's a funny article on how smart crows are (note: contains NSFW language, in case anyone may find that offensive).

[TC_Manhattan]

I have big chunks eaten out of my tomatoes, the sweeter the tomato, the bigger the chunk.

It's the groundhogs. Each bitten tomato is at the exact same height (on different plants), turns out that's sitting-groundhog-bite-height.

They nibbled a couple dry paste tomatoes (Costoluto), then made a beeline for Lucky Cross and Aunt Gertie's Gold. At least they have good taste. Thank God they're a bumper crop this year.

I even put a bowl of fresh water out for them, in case they were maybe just thirsty.

Nope, they love the big, ripe heirlooms. Hmmm.