Some Prose and Crows

We are still trying to learn more about how the crow-world operates. It would be great if we could crack the language code. Is there a Rosetta Stone that includes the crows?

We’ve heard the crows voice some different stuff this week. One morning, Pat took some food out. None of the crows had arrived yet, so she gave the food call, “Caw caw caw caw.” She immediately got an answer in kind, and, in a minute or so, the crow with the mangled foot landed on the driveway. He saw that he was alone, so he gave the 4-caw summons. Then, he must have been angry about the tardiness because in a louder voice, he gave out a trill and then 3 caws and then 2 caws and then 2 caws again. The other four birds showed up in less than a minute.

Punctuality must be important in the crow world. They seem to get upset if everyone doesn’t show up on time. On another morning, Pat went outside with the food, and again, no crows had arrived. She gave the 4-Caw summons and got 4 caws in reply. In less than a minute, the crow with the mangled foot landed on the driveway. Seeing that he was alone, he gave the four-caw call and got a reply from the distance. After a minute or so no one had showed up, so the mangled foot guy starts yelling at the top of his lungs. “Caw caw caw caw,” and then three crows came followed by two crows. Then another two caws. It was so loud that I could hear it in the house. Having been chewed out in good fashion, the other four crows showed up in less than a minute.

There is one crow that loves to talk with Pat. We don’t know if it is the Boss Crow or one of the other guys. He’ll sit in the neighbor’s liquid amber tree just hanging out. When he sees Pat come out of the house, he gets terribly excited. He will start prancing back and forth on the limb he is standing on and bobbing his head and wiggling his butt and making little trill sounds. There is no question that he is overjoyed to see her. When Pat starts making conversation, the crow listens patiently. Then, when it is his turn, he will say his piece, and then give her a chance to speak again. The crow seems to enjoy it so much, Pat thinks he would continue the conversation all day if she consented to do so.

Dave Thomas

4/11/2024

We may be learning some new crow-speak.  They seem to use a trill in different ways. A trill is a sharp repetitive sound and comes across much like the pecking of a woodpecker, though the crows make the noise in their throat rather than hammering it out with their beaks. In the English language, we sometimes use a word in more than one way. For instance, if you were meeting a friend, you might say, “Hey!” But, if someone was breaking into your car, you would say “HEY!!!” with more volume.

Pat’s crow friend that likes to make conversation sees her and gets all excited. He goes “trill, trill, trill.” When the crow with the mangled foot chewed out his cohorts he went “TRILL, TRILL, TRILL!” I couldn’t hear any difference in the delivery other than the volume.   I’ll keep listening and hopefully will hear other variations of the trill sound.

Dave Thomas

4/2/2024

Pat has been feeding the crows for several months now. She knows she is not providing sustenance for them. This is more like snacks. When the crows gather on the driveway, it could be considered like a nutrition break. The crows show up for refreshments and an opportunity to talk with friends, both old and new. They enjoy talking with each other and certainly enjoy talking with their new friend, Pat. It’s really amusing to listen to the conversations. Pat will say something, and the crows will listen and then respond. Pat will let them say their piece before she speaks again. It’s a lot of back and forth.

We are learning what the crows like at snack time. Pat started out with pieces of bread. Our favorite is a brown bread that has walnuts baked in it. The crows seem to prefer the bread over the walnuts though the nuts are much better for them.

This has been a great season for blueberries. They have been much larger and sweeter than usual. Pat thought it would provide some variety to give some to the crows. She scattered a few on the driveway, and the crows wouldn’t go touch them. Go figure.

On two occasions, we had avocados that were about to go bad. Pat cut them in half lengthwise, removed the pit, and put them out for the crows. Man, they were all over them! After a few minutes of feeding, two of the crows grabbed the skins and flew off with them. So much for sharing.

Pat usually keeps some hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for me to snack on. One day, there was one egg left that I hadn’t gotten to yet. Pat peeled it, cut it in half, and put it out for the crows. They went nuts! This has been their favorite so far.

I don’t know what will be on the menu next, but I’m sure the reaction will be interesting.

Dave Thomas

3/28/2024

There is a new behavior to report. The crows started their flyby routine by checking out Pat and Terri as individuals. Next, they did flyby’s on our living room window. I don’t know if they can see inside or not. They always make two or three passes, and it may be done so well we don’t notice them. All of this has taken place in the front side of the house.

The new trick takes place in the backyard. They fly under the patio roof and across the patio. They will make two or three trips past the kitchen windows, probably hoping to be seen.

Passing under our patio roof can be tricky. Coming in, they have to clear a 6 foot fence and then there is only about 5 feet before they must dip down and adjust the clearance before entering the patio.  The roof of this patio is a pergola-style with stringers a few inches apart and alternating open spaces. The roof is probably 8 foot high, and, of course, there are tables and chairs on the floor. This only leaves four or five feet of vertical air space to navigate through and is probably like flying through a tunnel. I wouldn’t have expected a crow to accept such flying conditions. I guess they know what they are doing.

Dave Thomas

3/21/2024

Just Regular Crow Stuff

Just some regular crow stuff today. Crows are very social critters. When they are not hunting for food-which they do as individuals or in pairs- you will see them in a tree with a bunch of their peers. They all seem to be jabbering at once. And they not only communicate among themselves, but want to socialize and talk with friendly humans. If Pat goes out to talk with them, they can see that she doesn’t have any food, but they get excited just the same. They will start rocking back and forth and talking fast. If they are on the driveway, they begin prancing and are so excited they can’t wait to talk. Pat starts off with them just as she would with any “visitor.” “How are you this morning?” She would give the crows a chance to respond and then say something like, “How do you like this weather?” They all go back and forth for a while just as anyone would. It’s fun to listen to because it sounds like any conversation you might be eavesdropping on. The crows have stories to tell and seem thankful that their friend is willing to listen.

Another thing that seems odd is that the crows have accepted Pat and Terri, and in their cases, have lost their fear of humans. One day, a friend tried to feed them, and they didn’t trust her at all.  The five crows flew to the nearest tree and stayed there. They wanted nothing to do with this stranger.

The crows followed Terri down the street to our house again. They spotted her car as she came around the corner and stayed with her until she pulled into the driveway and then went to the liquid amber tree. This is the third time they’ve done this.

If Pat is not outside when the crows arrive, they will do flybys in front of the living room window. They will make three or four passes to be sure that Pat has seen them arrive.

We may be feeding some baby crows, too. Sometimes when Pat is feeding them, two of the crows will get food in their mouths and fly away, and they will return in a few minutes. They must be the same two birds returning because they are accepted by the group. We know they don’t accept outsiders and would chase them away.

Pat had another avocado that we hadn’t turned into guacamole fast enough, and she needed to get rid of it. She split it in half lengthwise, removed the seed, and took it out to the crows. Just like the first time, the crows attacked the two pieces with vigor. Soon, two of the birds each grabbed a skin and took off. I guess they peeled off with the peels.

The crows split up when they are looking for food and whomever finds something will give a call for the rest of the gang to join them. Sometimes, Pat will go out with the food, and, if the crows haven’t arrived, she will give the food call, “Caw caw caw caw.” Way off in the distance, she will hear a responding “Caw caw caw caw!” Then, in a minute or two, all five crows will show up for breakfast.

Dave Thomas

3/15/2014

Question:  What do you do with a man who incites a crowd to the point that a Capitol police office was killed and many more were injured?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question: What do you do with a man who incites an insurrection against the United States?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question:  What do you do with a man who wants to destroy our democracy?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question: What do you do with a man who wants to become a dictator?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question:  What do you do with a man who is fined $83 million for defaming a woman?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question:  What do  you do with a man who is fined nearly half a billion dollars by the state of New York for fraud?

Answer:  You let  him run for President.

Question:  What do you do with a man who can’t preside over a business in the state of New York for the next 3 years?

Answer:  You let him run for President.

Question: What do you do with a man who faces 91 federal indictments for his handling of secret documents?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question:  What do you do with a man who is a white supremacist when we were taught that all men are created equal?

Answer: You let him run for President.

Question:  What do you do with a man who worships a despot like Putin?

Answer:  You let him run for President.

Question:  When will the Republicans do something for America?

Answer: Soon, I pray.

Question:  How many more questions like this are there?

Answer:  Many.

Dave Thomas

3/7/2024

Our granddaughter, Christie, and Mark were getting ready for their March wedding. Most of the many details had been covered. It was to be a small wedding with family and close friends. Things were looking good until here comes Covid 19 and the start of the pandemic. We heard all of the suggested rules for staying safe. Wash your hands while rendering Happy Birthday twice.  Stay away from the crowd. No backyard parties or barbecues, etc.

Christie and Mark were devastated. This blows the wedding plans for sure. They started looking for a way to pull off the wedding while staying in compliance with the suggested safety rules.

After scratching their heads, the kids decided that the wedding must take place outdoors. Further thought brought forth the idea that holding the wedding in a cul de sac would make it easier for everyone.  It just so happened that Christie’s paternal grandparents lived on a cul de sac. On the appointed day, we drove to the home of the other grandparents and parked at the curb of the cul de sac. The other guests arrived and lined up along the curb until we had the cul de sac filled. The overflow of people had to park on the street leading up to it. At the proper time, the bride and groom, the minister, and little Lily took their places in the center of the cul de sac, and the wedding commenced. The guests remained seated in their cars or got out and leaned against them. The ceremony went off perfectly, and, at the end, everyone applauded.

Next came the entertaining part of the afternoon. As the ceremony came to a close, one exuberant guest rushed toward the newly married couple with his hand extended to congratulate Mark. Mark, trying to honor the Covid 19 safety protocol, pulled his hand back and started backing away. The guest, undeterred, kept pressing forward as Mark backpedaled as best he could. Finally, the guy caught on and gave up on the handshake. It was hard to quit laughing over that one.

The wedding, though unusual, was a complete success. Christie and Mark now have their own terrific family, including three beautiful children.

Dave Thomas

3/7/2024

There was an unusual incident with the crows the other week. One morning Pat was watching and listening for them, but none showed up. After a short time, a lone crow landed on the roof of the house across the street. It began making a noise Pat hadn’t heard before. It was like the bird was in great pain and was crying. This went on for two or three hours. Terri happened to come over while this was going on, and she commented to her mother that it sounded as if the crow was crying. Eventually, this crow left. The next day, again, no crows showed up for breakfast. But a little later, the lone bird landed on the roof across the street and started “crying.” This time, Pat put out some food, and the crow came over and ate. As soon as it finished, it flew back to its regular spot on the roof across the street and started crying again. After a bit, another crow came in and landed beside the first guy. They chattered together for a moment and then flew off together. After an hour or so, the crow came back and cried for at least an hour before leaving. On the third morning, the regular group showed up for breakfast.

After a time, a lone bird that Pat took to be the distraught guy showed up and started eating. Two of the other crows went it and chased it away. That was the last time we saw or heard him. Considering the events of the last three days, Pat’s interpretation of the events was presented. She thought the lone bird had committed some type of infraction and had been booted out of the group. All the crying was the crow begging to be let back into the group. Who knows?

Dave Thomas

2/29/2024

Growing up in a small town in Kansas, I listened to family and friends cussing the crows as a regular thing.  Besides raiding gardens and fields, they sometimes made enough noise to drive you nuts. I never was acquainted with any of the crows, but I had heard or read somewhere that crows were very smart.

Boss Crow as a Scout

The Boss Crow initiated our relationship some eight months ago when he landed on the roof of our garage. Our house and attached garage are configured in an L-shape and that makes it possible to see the front door from the garage. It was a nice, warm day, so the front door was open, and the screen door was closed and locked. From his perch on the roof, the crow looked through the screen door, saw Pat inside, and started talking to her. He was making his cawing noises in a quiet, conversational tone rather than the normal hysterical sounds that crows usually make. Pat came to the door and listened. From the sound of it, she decided that he must be telling her a story of hard times in the crow community. She heard him out and got a slice of bread, tore it into little pieces, and scattered it on the driveway. That was the start of this, and the whole thing is a mystery to me. Why did the crow pick our house? What made him tell his story to Pat? Does she emit some kind of vibe that says she is a good listener? I know that people like to confide in her. She can stand in line at the bank, the grocery store, or the post office, and then come home and tell me the life story of the person standing next to her.

Meet Boss Crow

Due to a vision problem, I’ve never seen Boss Crow. I’ve heard him every day he is here, and Pat fills me in on his demeanor and antics. All this input has made it possible for me to develop a good mental image of this guy. I see him as A Damon Runyon type character, wearing a hat and sunglasses and with the stub of a cigar sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He is never still prances or struts around, making one wisecrack after another. He is always ready to give you a wink to indicate that he knows his shtick is silly, but he uses it to maintain his position. Don’t get me wrong, though. I feel that he is quite a guy and a real crowmanitarian. He looks after his group, sees to it that they are fed, feeds the sick, and runs off anyone that interferes with them. I’ll try to describe some of the things we have learned from and about him.

Communication

The first few times the boss crow came, I thought he was just jabbering like crows do. Then, I began to notice that when Pat went out and put food down, he gave a distinct four caw cry. It was always, “Caw, caw, caw, caw.” Then, in a couple of minutes, the other members of his group would come swooping in. I took the four caws to mean “food” or perhaps was just a general summons. I told Pat about this so whenever she took food out, she would give the four caws. She would hear a four-caw response, sometimes from far away, and in a minute or two, the crows would come flying in. Sometimes Boss Crow wants to have a conversation with Pat. He will land on the driveway and walk up to within three or four feet of her and start pouring out his heart.  He talks in a quiet, conversational tone. His manner is that of a person talking about things of great importance. When it’s Pat’s turn, she speaks in a consoling voice and then lets him proceed. When he has got it out of his system, Pat feeds him. Of course, neither of them knows what the other has said, but Boss Crow seems satisfied. Pat is getting a little nervous about standing in the driveway and giving the four caws call. She is afraid the neighbors will think she is nuts. I’ve noticed she sometimes stands in the doorway and gives the call before going out.

The Group

Boss Crow has a group that he looks out for and that sticks with him. Initially, they were a 3-bird group. It was Boss Crow, a regular looking bird that stayed close to Boss and we figured was a spouse or mate, and a bird with a mangled foot. We don’t know if the crippled guy is a family member or just a friend. After a few weeks, two more birds came along. They looked to be a little smaller, and we thought they may be offspring. Recently, two more crows have sometimes come along with the group. They might also be offspring.

Boss Crow as Teacher/Trainer

Not long ago, Pat started seeing the mangled foot guy across the street on the roof or in the tree as a lookout. Then, one day last week, Boss Crow didn’t show up, but the mangled foot guy did. He stood there on the drive, and when Pat came out with the food, he gave the four-caw food call and brought the others in. He also came up close to Pat and had a conversation with her. This is strange because, up to now, he has never said a word or done anything to make himself noticed. We figured he was just observing and learning the ropes from Boss Crow.

Boss Crow, Caregiver

Some time ago, I wrote about the sick bird that came in with the group. I’ll briefly rehash that story. When the group showed up for breakfast one morning, there was an extra crow with them. This guy was sick. He wasn’t black and shiny like a crow should be. He looked almost gray and showed no vitality whatsoever. He was strong enough to fly in, but for some reason, couldn’t feed himself. Boss Crow and the others took turns picking up food and placing it in his mouth. When the food was gone, they flew away together.

The Protector

Boss Crow is happy taking care of his little group, but if any other crows try to join them, there is trouble. The Boss gets up in their faces and chest bumps them until they leave.

Dave Thomas

2/22/2024

The crows recognize Pat and Terri. What surprises me is that they seem to recognize their cars as well. I’ve written two stories about Terri being followed to the house. Also, there was one story about Pat being recognized in the bank’s parking lot. That has happened again. Pat went to the mall and the bank, and when she got out of the car, there was a crow circling overhead.

From the air, it would be hard to see the person driving the car unless you were at an angle to the side. That’s why I think the crows know the cars. I don’t know the capacity of a bird’s intellect or memory. It just seems apparent that they know who they are seeing.

 As time passes, the crows seem to become more friendly and less fearful of humans. Sometimes now, Pat or Terri will go out on the driveway and give the food call “Caw, caw, caw, caw.” The crows will come swooping in and do a fly by just a few feet from them before landing. This action seems more like a greeting or a salutation than an inspection. Pat says it feels like, “Good morning. Nice to see you!” The crows seem more at ease now.

Dave Thomas

2/15/2024