deb

Our crow couple show up about the same time(s) daily.  At first, they would wait on a roof across the street or on the street light a few feet from our house.  We would leave the house approx the same time to walk our dog and for our dogs return, we would leave a treat of a small cement Garden Gargoyle.  We started coming back from our walk and the treat was not there.  We finally looked at our Ring camera video and saw it was the couple flying in when we got about 1/2 block away. They waddled up to the gargoyle when one kept guard.   It’s been a few years now and they caw when we are supposed to be coming out to walk our dog and when we do leave they fly in and follow us for about a couple of blocks and we sometimes drop a dog treat . Eventually they started hanging out on our back fence, where I now leave kibble and nuts and a water tray.  They have trained me to give them breakfast and an evening snack.  One (Clubfoot)  lets me get about 3 feet away and keeps that distance. we have a lot of soldier ants in mid to late summer and they started to go after the crow food that was left from the day before sometimes.  One morning, I could see from the window that Clubfoot and his partner wouldn’t go near the food.  They were cawing angrily.  I went out and saw the trail of the soldier ants and then the mass eating the kibble.  I got the hose spray them off and put new food out and breakfast was served!

1.  There was a complaint recently on our local area’s Facebook page.  One even mentioned a crow raiding the hawks nest and killing its babies.  I just started the course so I posted the chart in this lesson.  PS The red tail hawks around here are at least twice the size of crows.  When the crows have a nest, they protect it by diving and squawking relentlessly. 2.  “My crows” protect the eucalyptus tree in my back space.  The couple have lived there for at least the last 10 years.  Each year we watch them build a nest, feed the youngster(s), invite friends over sharing the food and water  I leave out for them.   They appear to be old now.  One (Whitey) had a set of white feathers on his right side and the couple preen each other on my fence and in the tree.   I believe he got into a brawl, maybe with another crow couple because there were a few weeks that we had a group visit and it did not appear friendly.  There was a lot of diving and squawking toward my crows and  lots of feathers one day in our front yard.  The couple disappeared for a couple of months coming back in spring but with a grayish feather where the white used to be and his right foot toes were curled fist like.  They typically stopped coming for a month or two late winter but this was a much longer vacation.   I leave peanuts (unsalted) and dog kibble on my fence, so they can easily fly in to get it and the water.   (it’s been close to 100 degrees) they come at specific times.  They let me come within about 6 feet of them and hop along the fence if I get closer.  Whitey’s name is now Clubfoot. Clubfoot usually comes first while his wife? waits on the roof or in the tree until I turn away from the fence, then she flys in passing overhead…Clubfoot let’s her have first dibs on the food.  My feeding started because they would always steal the dog treat I would leave for my dog..they eventually followed us part way on our morning walk. 3.I don’t believe I’ve seen ravens. It may have been ravens that “scared” my crows away last year.  They did seem bigger but I did not know how to recognize there physical appearances. 4. I noticed more doves, finches and other smaller birds at our fence and backyard since I started feeding the crows. It seems it right after they leave.   They get the crows leftovers.