I think I have a pet crow. Then again, maybe the crow in my back yard has a pet human. Whatever the case, it’s strange.
I have always had a few crows around. Sometime three, sometimes four. They stop by periodically to see if there are any seeds or corn kernels left over after the squirrels have finished, and sometimes they will dunk a piece of bread in our bird bath. I like having crows because they do a good job of keeping hawks at bay.
But currently I have one crow who is almost always in my backyard and doesn’t seem to be the least bit concerned about my presence. I have found crows to be very skittish. I can tap on the kitchen window and off they go. This crow, however, doesn’t care whether I’m around or not. Last week, he was on the birdbath, and I walked within five feet and he never moved. I shooed him off the birdbath so I could fill it, then he reluctantly flew to a limb just above and let me have it.
I don’t really mind having this crow set up housekeeping in my back yard, but it freaks out my bluebirds. They have a nest with baby chicks and crows are known to snack on baby birds when given the opportunity. When the crow is around, my blues make a small chirping noise to warn each other, and they keep their eyes peeled on the crow. Sometimes they’ll fly to the neighbor’s yard and chirp.
I wonder if this crow is trying to mate and nest in my yard. I’ve asked him and he won’t say. But as long as he leaves my bluebirds alone, he’s welcome to stay.
