Monday, March 25, 2013

Crows are More like Ravens Every Day

I have had a report from Mt. Veeder that Bold and Shy have been landing on my former neighbor's deck.  They no longer leave when the owners go in and out of the house.  Must of been that big bag of peanut treats I took up there for them to feed to my raven buddies.  They know that they might get a treat. So- why leave?
I have been watching the crows lately.  They have many behaviours similar to ravens.  The young crows are flying around with the parents now.  I have seen a parent feeding a baby on many occasions now.  The "babies" carry on and make alot of noise until they get some food stuffed into their mouths.  They are VERY loud- just like the raven babies.  They are also very large babies who look like they could find their own food but why do it when they can get some by squawking!
The other thing that happens now is that when I go outside to work in the garden- Mr. Crow arrives and sits in the oak tree.  He must watch the yard.  He gives me a call to let me know he is there.  I then go get some peanuts and put them in the tray feeder.  Subsequently I go inside the house after I fill the feeder so that he can get the peanuts.  He is still too nervous to come down to the feeder if I am in the yard. He has to beat out the blue jays for the peanuts.  I know the blue jays watch the yard because they appear as soon as I put out peanuts.  The jays grab a peanut, bury it and go back for more- they are FAST!
This crow behavior is different from the ravens.  The ravens were not bothered by my presence.  I could put out food on the deck railing and they would not fly away if they were nearby.  They would then keep one eye on me while they picked up the food and flew off with it.  It maybe that their great size affords them some protection so that makes them braver.  Or were they just used to me and my behavior?
When I work in the garden Mr. Crow often sits above me in a tree and makes the clicking sound similar to the one the ravens make.  It is of higher pitch but very similar.  It is like he is talking to me.  He must be the sentinal crow for when I put out food he starts squawking very loudly to alert his family group.
Another thing I have noticed is that the crow's call is usually 3 notes in a row. However when he is calling to me, it is a four note call.  I find that very interesting.
So- the more I learn about crows, the more I appreciate them.  I still miss Bold and Shy.  I may never have a relationship with a pair of birds like I had on Mt. Veeder- but at least I had the experience once in my lifetime.