DEAR JOAN: We have a Chinese elm in our front yard that provides
beautiful shade for our driveway, but the crows have moved in
and are leaving droppings, creating a messy area to walk through
to get the newspaper.  Do you know if putting a dummy owl in the
tree will discourage them? We have a catalog offering one that
is battery operated; when it senses a presence, it activates,
makes a noise and even moves its head.  Bud Born  Bay Area  DEAR
BUD: Crows are exceptionally smart, but your mechanical owl may
work if you move it around in the tree.  Crows have lost their
fear of most scarecrows. Crows have lost their fear of most
scarecrows. (Paul Schmid/Seattle Times)  I'm sure it will
startle the crows the first few times it goes off, but they will
soon figure out it's nothing that should concern them. Moving it
every few days may make the crows think twice.  I've also heard
that hanging a fake, stuffed crow upside down in a tree or
nearby will dissuade crows. The fake bird will probably be
cheaper and as Hallo