Never seen a pellet like this before.

[Bushwhacker]

I went out for a wander on Saturday around the nature reserve and noticed a lot of urea on the floor which indicated a roost/perch above it.

This pellet was amongst it.

It contains plastic, lots of plastic (it seems to be from a carrier bag) plus a few tiny bits of stone.

I'm thinking it's probably from a crow, but I really have no idea why a bird would eat a plastic bag.
Has anybody else seen anything like it?

 

[JAG009]

Maybe there was food in the bag and it just ate the plastic along with the food

 

[Bushwhacker]

It's made of individually picked strands of plastic, which, I suppose, would indicate that it's purposeful rather than accidental.
I've seen crows peck at window putty and rubber seals before, but didn't think they'd swallow stuff like that.

 

[JAG009]

I know why they eat window putty, its the linseed oil that attracts them , but plastic I have never seen that before

 

[British Red]

I've seen crows decoyed by plastic bags - particularly bin bags - as they have come to associate them with food. That said I haven't seen a pellet like that

 

[shaggystu]

I know it's probably very difficult to tell but has the plastic been shredded or is it "tesco carrier bag" type stuff that degrades into strips? My thinking being that if it's degraded into strips, then; mingled in with food and eaten by accident would make sense, if not, well, I guess not.

Interesting one

 

[ged]

More and more plastic is being eaten more or less by accidnet. It's starting to be a serious problem:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-21455910

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21259593

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...at-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html

 

[Bushwhacker]

I know it's probably very difficult to tell but has the plastic been shredded or is it "tesco carrier bag" type stuff that degrades into strips? My thinking being that if it's degraded into strips, then; mingled in with food and eaten by accident would make sense, if not, well, I guess not.

Interesting one

The plastic seems quite fresh - it's still got strength to it and burns/melts like a plastic bag does. I don't think a degraded bag would do that, but having never seen a degraded bag, I'm not sure.

 

[ged]

... having never seen a degraded bag, I'm not sure.

Te ones I've seen mostly seem to turn more or less to brittle flakes or powder.

 

[shaggystu]

.....I don't think a degraded bag would do that......

Me neither, but that's more or less how they come apart, bit weird really. It doesn't sound like that's the answer anyway, I wonder if maybe it's a juvenile that's just experimenting with different food sources

 

[shaggystu]

Te ones I've seen mostly seem to turn more or less to brittle flakes or powder.

The tesco ones that got left in a bundle in the back of my desk drawer degraded into brittle strips, which further degraded into flakes, my guess is that powder would've been the next stage

 

[Bushwhacker]

The tesco ones that got left in a bundle in the back of my desk drawer degraded into brittle strips, which further degraded into flakes, my guess is that powder would've been the next stage

Do you know what? I have just twigged something from a few years ago. I found loads of pieces of carrier bag, just as you've described, in a cupboard and thought I had a mouse! The bleedin' bag must have degraded!

 

[Adze]

Mebbe a crow found a job lot of pepperami... digested the middle bit and up-chucked the remains.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Urgh! I've just had a thought. It could be a dog poo bag.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

The bird could have been feeding on a rubbish dump.....

 

[calgarychef]

What's it taste like?

 

[andyc54]

More and more plastic is being eaten more or less by accidnet. It's starting to be a serious problem:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-21455910

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21259593

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...at-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html

Theres a video like your second link on youtube its heart breaking to see what we are doing to our planet and animals it really got to me

 

[mudgutz]

It's made of individually picked strands of plastic, which, I suppose, would indicate that it's purposeful rather than accidental.
I've seen crows peck at window putty and rubber seals before, but didn't think they'd swallow stuff like that.

When i worked as a roofer we got call outs to industrial units with leaking plastic roofs that had been pecked to bits but carrion. The stuff was similar to very thick floor liner and the buggers loved it. They will also take silicon sealent from windows. I'v also seen many maggie nests lined with carrier bag's in built up areas so the chances of them munching some down isn't too bizarre.

 

[shaggystu]

......The bleedin' bag must have degraded!

Either that or I had a mouse :bluThinki.......

 

[Geoff Dann]

More and more plastic is being eaten more or less by accidnet. It's starting to be a serious problem:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-21455910

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21259593

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...at-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html

Actually, it is already an unmitigated disaster:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=489518334448906&set=vb.278488155551926&type=2&theater