Something to Crow about

     I know! Mention crows and everyone runs for their BB guns or worse. I agree they can be very aggravating but did you know they live in families - and the older siblings many times, help take care of the babies? I actually watched this fascinating sight in action.

     One day I received a call, from one of our Lake Helen Law Enforcement officers, that a woman had called in as to what should be done about a young crow that her grandson had rescued. Crows, at that particular time, were not my favorite critters because I had seen one take off with a baby duck. So, of course, all crows were “bad” (to me), - guilt by association – I guess you could say.

     However, in spite of these feelings, I went to the caller’s home and met her and her grandson – a young man obviously with a genuine caring for critters. It seems he had learned in school how to take care of birds and was doing a very good job at it, too. I have to say that it was very refreshing to find a young man who was helping rather than destroying wildlife.

     So, I decided this crow was going to live and named him RJ. In time, RJ “filled out” and got stronger but, I have to admit, always looked like he was having a “bad feather” day.

     Eventually, I put RJ in our big cage in the backyard as he was now eating on his own. I, then, encouraged him to leave the safety of the cage.

     I stood and watched as one of the “yard crows” came in. (There are four crows that call our backyard “home.”) They “talked” with him, decided to adopt him, and actually started feeding him as he was behaving like the young crow that he actually was.

     I watched this go on for quite awhile and it was when I discovered that each crow has its own particular voice.

     I noticed that the same crow always came and fed RJ. RJ would fly with the “yard crows” but always returned for breakfast. One morning, after a particular bad rainstorm, I found RJ walking around on the ground and realized his “water proofing” was not working yet.

     After much discussion between RJ and myself, I put him back in the cage for his own safety. This wasn’t an easy task because, though he may not have been able to fly, he sure could run fast.

     RJ was on a diet of dampened Puppy Chow so when I put his food inside the big cage, I put a dish of (dampened) Puppy Chow on top of the cage. The “yard crows” came back and that same crow continued to feed him.

     RJ finally got his “weatherproofing” and I was able to safely let him fly with his adopted family again.

     And would you believe that when the crows fly over, I hear his particular voice? Not only that - I always look up to see a crow that’s having a “bad feather” day.