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SGT David
Medzyk
(formerly of) Delta Co. Force Security, Balad Airbase, Iraq
writes:
Hello CrowBusters!
Here's a few pics I took while stationed in Iraq. They are
from the Balad Airfield area. Notice the many piebald crows
(Mesopotamian Crows), this is a normal species and quite
prevalent. They do not mingle with the all blacks, and are
slightly larger on average than the blacks here, but smaller
than our local (USA) average. Their call is rather muted,
not at all like our crow's loud and obnoxious caw.
The piebalds are VERY wary of
people, likely because the Iraqi's would fire full-auto
weapons at them in the fields. The blacks are even more
skittish. At the base dump (oh, did I ever wish for my .223
12BVSS in my hands!) the blacks would descend in droves, but
would have a dozen look-outs posted on top of the heaps and
fence line. You couldn't stop your Hummer without them
blasting off over the fence until we left! Curiously, all
very quietly with their muted caws. Actually, it was a
little eerie.
The other pics are a crow
hunters dream....or nightmare! Every evening, these great
clouds of crows would come in from the surrounding fields to
roost in a grove of palm and eucalyptus trees. The number of
crows was uncountable, literally thousands in one flock.
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