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Active Since: February 8, 2021
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Replies Created: 6

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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Maureen
    Participant
    I'm so glad I found this thread. I was on a walk in February and heard some unusual calls. It turned out to be 3 crows, but there was at least one of them making a bell-like sound repeatedly. Any way I can upload the sound file from my iphone? It is faint but clear.
  • Maureen
    Participant
    We have recently moved to the country where there are not that many crows, it seems. We live in a wooded area with mature maples, basswood, hickory, and a healthy understory. I have been feeding bird for 7 years in this location, black oil SF seed, suet, and peanuts. We have never had a crow at our feeders. I'm going to have to take some peanuts on my walk and see if I can entice them with some peanuts.
  • Maureen
    Participant
    I often wonder of crows have a sense of humour. When I was a child a long time ago, we had a neighbour lady who didn't appreciate the crow my sister rescued (she found it at the base of a tree alone; I know, mom and pop were probably nearby).  Our family had decided, once he could fly, he had to be free to join other crows if he chose but he could roost in the basement overnight, which he did for the remainder of his first summer. Blacky (such a creative name!) frequently stole things like shiny children's rings or Barbie shoes. He kept them in our eaves trough. One warm summer evening, the neighbours were all out in their yards chatting over the fences. Our neighbour lady was in her garden picking green beans into a basin she held. Our crow flew in from out of sight and,  in an instant, landed on her basin, stole a bean and was gone! The lady shrieked, and threw all beans and basin up in the air. The only one who wasn't laughing. Fast forward many years: We had a bird bath which several crows used to soak and tenderize dried up chicken and turkey scraps left out by well-meaning people or scavenged from the garbage. It became a problem so we had to take it down from time to time to wait for the crows to move on.
    in reply to: Creative Crows #812371
  • Maureen
    Participant
    When I was a student at the University of Alberta a long time ago, a professor told me that the crows were not necessarily flying south in the winters (which were super cold then), but east to southern Ontario where the Great Lakes mitigate the low temperatures. Not sure of his information source.
    in reply to: Roosts #805302
  • Maureen
    Participant
    1. Some years ago, we had a torrential all-night rain. I went out to my garden the next morning. A pair of  crows were very agitated and the closer I got to my garden, the more frantically they called. I knew there had to be a youngster. Sure enough, I found him on the ground, cold and soaking wet, shivering and weak. I got a box to put him in, dried him off and coaxed some canned dog food into him. My 10 year old son was so excited, having always wanted a pet crow. I told him we could make sure this young one was well and strong enough to be released but he had to be wild and with his family. The next morning, after my son fed his little friend, we went outside. There were two crows calling up in the trees. I thought it could be the parents so my brave son got "his" crow and we let it out on the patio. Immediately, the two other crows flew down to it. There was the most uncanny conversation among the parents and fledgling. Quiet, un-crowlike clucking noises. And off they all went. Our young bird was indeed able to fly; he had only been unable because he was so cold. 2. When I was a  child, a nest of baby robins blew down during a storm. My mother took them in, conscripted us kids into worm-digging, and she fed them every two to three hours until they became a little older. And every day, there was a tapping on the kitchen window by two adult robins. She put the chicks on the lawn and the adults fed them for half an hour or so. This went on for a couple of weeks. So some other birds are as dedicated to their families and have the moxy of crows. 3. Keep the water in your pond moving with pump. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water.
  • Maureen
    Participant
    Question 3: I live northwest of the northwest tip of Lake Ontario in Halton Region, Ontario, about 20 km from the lake. In the past 3-4 years, we have both seen and heard ravens as well as crows in our area, winter and summer. Love that loud echoing croak they make! They now seem to be nesting a little further south than your range map indicates. There have been reports of others seeing them as well. The crows don't seem to appreciate having the ravens around as they mob them a bit. They are easy to tell apart by size when seen together but I can now use tail and wing shape to ID them when they fly over without the crow mob. Question 4: Last year we had a Cooper's hawk nest near our house. Crows would have harassed it and likely prevented the Robin nest predation. That hawk ate every chick. I don't begrudge it though. We have many many robins. I worried a bit more about the Indigo buntings I saw being chased by that hawk but I was VERY impressed with their dodging flight through thick branches until the hawk got tired and gave up!
    in reply to: What is a Crow? #786732
Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)