Our crow friends respond to the changes noted on the calendar. By that, I mean the changes in time, the holidays, the seasons, and the weather. They were arriving at the house at 6:45 AM, but now are coming between 7:15 and 7:45. This, of course, has to do with the dawn and sun-up.

During the holidays, we sometimes didn’t see any crows for several days. We figured they had found alternate and, perhaps, better food sources. Due to the holiday meals, we figured that homes and restaurants would have more waste food in their trash cans and dumpsters. Though they weren’t showing up for breakfast, our regular group consisting of Lamefoot, Bouncer, and Clucker made it a point to stay in touch with Pat. They would come at different times during the day and fly low past the windows so Pat would see they had arrived. They would land near our front door and wait for Pat. They would listen to her stories and give their own reports and then fly away. There was no begging for food. This was just a social call.

Here’s another little story about the crows’ dining habits. A couple of people we know decided to stop for coffee at McDonald’s. They had a window seat and were able to see a trash can near the back of the building. A crow in search of a meal landed on the trash can and was looking around. There was a small box on top of the trash that apparently was covering up some choice items. Using its beak, the crow moved the box out of the way and feasted on what he found. With access to the food, he ate his fill and then took hold of the box and put it back in its original position.

The holidays are past, and the weather is several degrees cooler. The crows are coming more often. The groups are larger now also. From the original group of 3, we are now seeing 5, 9, 12 or 15 at a time. We assume these are members of the extended family. Outsiders are driven away.

Crows are omnivores and will eat anything that doesn’t eat them first. The cooler weather has probably caused a reduction in the number of bugs and small creatures that are normally part of their diet. We hope they all survive the winter okay.

Dave Thomas

1/16/2025