13 Monday Mar 2023
Posted in birds
Nictitating membrane: noun, zoology; ‘a whitish or translucent membrane that forms an inner eyelid in birds, reptiles, and some mammals. It can be drawn across the eye to protect it from dust and keep it moist’ (Oxford Dictionary).
When I was taking photographs of one of my local Crow friends last week, I caught a couple where its nictitating membrane was showing well, so thought I’d share.
26 Wednesday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
The look: ‘Do you have any food for me?’
The glare: ‘Why don’t you have any food for me?’
My small black friend and I have become better acquainted since the summer and, these days, as soon as I walk in to its territory, it flies over. Call me crazy but I talk to it and, when I remember, I take it a few morsels of food. When I forget … well, the photo above tells that story.
22 Monday Aug 2022
Posted in birds
It may be young and still coming in to its adult feathers but it’s already got the moves, the sideways shuffle, the hotshot hustle, the cocky swagger that seems to come naturally to Carrion crows, male and female.
11 Saturday Jun 2022
Posted in birds
Without a long lens, I haven’t been able to get close to any of the juvenile birds that are currently cheeping at and following around their frazzled parents in leafy trees and hedgerows. Luckily, though, this juvenile Carrion crow was a little more obliging … or perhaps simply more curious.
17 Tuesday May 2022
Posted in birds, flowers, wildflowers
I had company as I walked very slowly along the west paddock paths at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park yesterday. This Carrion crow is one of a pair that frequents the area and, as they are fed almost daily by a local visitor, they’ve become quite used to quiet humans. I confess I have given them seed from time to time and I’m sure crows are smart enough to recognise individual people, so it may also have been hoping for a treat from me. No such luck, but it seemed to be finding plenty of tasty morsels amongst the glorious Bird’s-foot trefoil as we walked along together.
02 Saturday Apr 2022
Posted in birds
Spot the latest in Crow nest accessories …
So when you get home from a hard day’s crowing, you can hang up your feathers before snuggling in for the night.
20 Thursday May 2021
These three juvenile Carrion crows were keeping incredibly quiet – in fact, two were mostly snoozing – so it was just good luck that I happened to look up into their tree and spot them.
Their parents were in a neighbouring area of wasteland, foraging for food – a full-time job with three hungry beaks to fill. The juveniles look close to fledging so I’m picking they’ll have moved out by the time I next walk this way.
10 Wednesday Jun 2020
Though I’m someone who prides myself on my observation skills, I have to admit I’ve failed dismally with my local Jackdaw family. Do you remember I posted back at the end of March about their courtship and nest building (Dawdling, 30 March)? After that, I regularly checked their nesting spot and would see them popping in and out of the chimney pot but I never noticed any signs of them feeding chicks. Yet, a chick has now fledged, though it still seems a bit dazed by the world outside its nest.
A couple of days ago it was sitting on a window ledge of the church hall opposite my house. It sat there for ages, despite the adults trying to coax it down on to the roof below.
Then I heard an almighty ruckus. It seemed like the entire local population of Jackdaws had descended on the hall roof, and they were all jabbering at once. Turns out a Crow had noticed the juvenile Jackdaw and was trying to get close to it, perhaps thinking it would make an easy meal.
The young Jackdaw panicked and flew on to the hall roof but one of its parents immediately flew up next to it, and all the others started dive-bombing the Crow, which eventually gave up and flew off. Hopefully, the young Jackdaw has learnt a valuable life lesson and will stay out of harm’s way in future.
06 Monday Jan 2020
You’d think in a contest between a Crow and a Raven, the Raven would win hands down every time. After all, it’s Britain’s biggest corvid, a hulking beast of a bird. And I’m sure if this had been a real contest, the Raven would have won – but it was not.
As you can see, the Raven was sitting on a rooftop aerial, on a house in a lane not far from my house, not somewhere I’ve seen one before. The Crow had taken exception to the Raven being in its territory, so was harassing it repeatedly. The Raven ignored the Crow for a while but then, I think, simple got fed up, and flew off.
The Starlings were spectators, watching with interest from a neighbouring aerial. It was a charming little interlude on my daily walk.
11 Tuesday Jun 2019
Posted in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature
There’s a man I’ve got to know during my wanders around the local country park, Lindsay, who feeds the birds on a (I think) daily basis. But it’s not the small birds – the robins, the tits, the finches – that he feeds; it’s the crows. He walks the same route, and the birds know it, and what time to expect him. These two crows, sitting on fence posts in the light rain, appear to be wondering where he is, scrutinising each passing human to see if it’s him, wondering if he will still come in the rain. Don’t worry, crows, I do believe he will!
earthstar 
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