Some of you may recall that I have blogged in the past about the American crows (Corvus brachyrynchos) that come to visit us. We feed them, having saved all manner of juicy morsels for them, and they have "made friends" with Miriam more than with me since she feeds them most frequently. Hence the name, Miriam's Crows.
They generally appear less frequently in the spring and early summer when they are busy with the serious business of raising young, but reappear with their usual regularity when the young fledge, sometimes bringing the kids to visit.
This year, however, for a couple of moths they abandoned us completely, and we are at a loss to explain why. They had reached the point where they showed no fear of us and knew that there would be food laid out.
Over the past few weeks crows have returned, but we are not quite sure whether they are "our" crows. They are much more wary, feed cautiously and fly off at the slightest provocation.
Traditionally, five crows came to visit a couple of times a day, but now only two, at times three, are seen in the yard. Are these new birds? What happened to the original five? It seems incomprehensible that all of them could have met a bad end somehow, but I can't think of another reason why they abandoned a guaranteed source of food, available without danger.
We are delighted to enjoy the regular company of these handsome intelligent birds, and wish they could let us know what happened.
We'll just continue to enjoy them, however; of that you may be sure.
Recommended reading list for Corvids (Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays)
The Magpies, T.R. Birkhead, T & A.D. Poyser Ltd (1991)
Ravens in Winter, Bernd Heinrich, Vintage Books (1991)
Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich, HarperCollins (1999)
Crows and Jays, Steve Madge and Hilary Burn, Houghton Mifflin Company (1994)
In the Company of Crows and Ravens, John M. Marzluff and Tony Angell, Yale University (2005)
Gifts of the Crow, John Marzluff and Tony Angell, Atria Paperback, a Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. (2012)
Crows, Candace Savage, Greystone Books (2005)
The Raven, Derek Ratcliffe, T & A.D. Poyser Ltd (1997)
...bye, bye blackbird!
ReplyDeleteVery curious!
ReplyDeleteperhaps they reached the end of their natural lifespan but weird that all five would die the same year. I wonder if the new crows are some of the original five's offspring.
ReplyDeleteThat thought has crossed our minds.
DeleteCongratulations to Miriam for those good photos, both the first one and the one with the snow are great.
ReplyDeleteI hope the absence is that they have found a better place, although I think that is complicated...
Thank you david, un abrazo
Thank you and Miriam - both for feeding the crows and this post. I wonder whether they met with trouble in another house that put out food for them which made them more wary? Sadly you will never know.
ReplyDeleteI wish they had distinguishing marks.
DeleteThey seem to be used to being photographed.
ReplyDeleteI love crows and will try to draw one from your photo to tell the story of my visit this past Saturday and the Crow at WM... yours might be down here because each morning and evening just after dawn and just before dusk, thousands of them fly for a good 5 minutes going to and from the island they roost on at night.. the photos are amazing, the detail in the 2nd one is fantastic...
ReplyDeleteI will look forward to your drawing, Sandra.
DeleteThe black crows are very beautifu, David. I have many crows around my garden, but they are never in the garden. The magpie rules there. It sounds strange that all the crows disappeared from you yard. Great photos. Hugs and kisses, Marit
ReplyDeleteI seriously hope that nothing bad happened to crows....
ReplyDeleteA mystery that may never be solved, sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that "your Crows" seem to have flown the coop...My son in law is a big fan of crows and their intelligence.. I have seen several videos of them illustrating their talents..
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures Miriam..perhaps you can "train" these as well..
Does my heart good to see you and Miriam enjoying your crows and taking care of them. I do hope your original family will return. I have always been very fond of them and enjoy reading articles. They visit us every day, first one appears and three or four others follow. I love to hear them cawing up in the trees. The ones that land on our deck are very big, and when the sun shines on their feathers, they are a magnificent sight.
ReplyDeleteWe have a group too which we are feeding again as the weather turned cold. We really enjoy them!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThat's sad... I do wonder if there had been a predator event that scared them off, and perhaps ended for a few? Now to build (rebuild?) rapport with those that are once again visiting. Ta for the reading list! YAM xx
That is an interesting mystery! Even our crows who nested in the pine tree out back don't visit us. I wish they would.
ReplyDeleteIt’s an amazing experience to develop a relationship with them.
DeleteMy favorite photos. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThey are the best friends you can have I think. Wonderful, wonderful birds. I think you already know how much I love the crows anyway. :-D
ReplyDeleteThey are wonderful indeed, but have always remained fairly aloof. There are many reports of crows bringing gifts, but it has not happened to us - yet!
DeleteWe have plenty of crows around our farm. I have often thought of trying to befriend them, and would love to. However, I wonder if that would invite them closer and they would end up in my garden? Do they ever bring anything to you?
ReplyDeleteNot yet, Michelle. We keep hoping!
DeleteHmmm. Too bad you can't somehow put tracking mechanisms on them or a splash of marking paint on them. That's probably the only way to follow them, but would you really want to do that? I have a small murder of them who live around my house, but I don't usually see them in the yard, but I do see them in the trees in the woods around the house. Have a wonderful rest of your week. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteMy sister has a contingent of crows at her studio. She feeds them peanuts. They generally are waiting on the roof of the adjoining building and call out to her when she arrives. By the time she goes in and comes back with their peanuts, they are arranged around the door, waiting.
ReplyDeleteAs I read your post earlier today, I looked out my office window to see five crows striding around my front yard. Perhaps "Miriam's crows" have flown to Texas! I see and hear them (and/or some of their brothers and sisters) every day now. They do appear to be more active or visible in fall and winter. That seems to be their "social season."
ReplyDeleteI’d be quite happy if they came to visit you, Dorothy.
DeleteHi David,
ReplyDeletewhat a mystery... i was thinking that maybe you found a place where there are more resources, and decided to settle there. They will return, you´ll see.
Big kisses to you both, dearest friends.
Hmmm... i think i expressed myself wrongly. I meant that perhaps the crows found more resources elsewhere. I hope I made myself clear. Sorry! Good night!
DeleteInteresting. I wonder what might have changed in the environment to make them leave? Maybe it was the drought? If it affected your area, that is. This summer's heat, perhaps? Another murder moving in on the territory? I suppose there is no way to know, but what a mystery.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mirian's crows found some people to feed them who provided even more delicious juicy morsels than yours. I want to put a positive spin on it rather than think something bad might have happened to them.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Does make one wonder where the others went, it appears by what you have written these blackbirds now visiting are new ones.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of the crows.
ReplyDeleteHere in the Netherlands they are becoming more common again, they had disappeared for a few years, but there are a lot of jackdaws here.
Greetings Irma
Hi David - you and particularly Miriam have had lots of patience to befriend the crows - I'm sad for you that those have disappeared ... but let's hope some new ones settle in ... or as Hada suggests they return. Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and sometime scary....But so curious , smart and needed in nature...Hope they are fine where they went...
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures !
Anna
Crows have beautiful plumage - black with a blue tint, David. It's good that you have familiar crows, they will probably return to you soon.
ReplyDeleteHopefully these crows will soon be as comfortable hanging out with you as the others, but it sure would be good to know what happened.
ReplyDeleteI used to enjoy the ravens in Fairbanks. We lived in the woods and had a long curving driveway. Our house had large windows so sometimes I would look up just in time to see a raven swooping down from behind the house and flying down the space between the trees on either side of the driveway. They were magnificent.
It's really amazing, isn't it? Different colors, different feather markings, and yet, they're all birds. "Birds of a feather flock together."
ReplyDeleteIf only humans were as tolerant and respectful of each other.
DeleteI suspect any bird to comes near your home will have quite the feast. I'm glad the crows are back, even if you need to begin the friendship overtures again.
ReplyDeleteWe welcome our friends, Jeanie, human and feathered.
DeleteThanks David for the information about crows, and hope that the ones that formerly visited are safe and perhaps went to other locales, maybe warmer ones? That said, it is nice to read that you have new visitors and perhaps in time they will become friendlier as Miriam's attention continues.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt, Beatrice. It’s a bit of a mystery about the original quintet, but I hope that they are safe and that some other kind human is proving to them that not all two-legged creatures are bent on their destruction.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI do not see many crows in my yard, they do hang out in the forest surrounding our home.
Great collection of photos and a great post. Take care, enjoy your day!
If you would like them to visit your yard it takes patience, but once the bond is forged they will be your friends.
DeleteNo hay nada más que alimentar a un animal, para que se aproximen a ti en el momento que te puedan ver.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Querido David es extraño la desaparición de los cinco cuervos, pero yo observo que a menudo mis aves desaparecen sin más, quizás decidan visitar nuevos lugares. Los cuervos sin ninguna duda son muy inteligentes y divertidos. Yo solo cuenta con la visita asidua tanto de tres. Preciosas fotos. Muchos besos para ti y para Miriam.
ReplyDeleteHow I love the crows and I have a few crow stories of my own. Extraordinarily intelligent. I think I told you how they trained my daughter's cat, Mango, to catch prey for them every morning. He was a willing slave.
ReplyDeleteLovely that Miriam had their affection and trust.
XO
WWW
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteso sad that your 'original' pack of crows seems to be lost somehow.
These 'new' crows probably must gain trust in you. I'm sure they will.
Wonderful pictures!
Best regards, Corrie
It's fascinating to read about your connection with Miriam's crows, and I can understand why you’re both puzzled and concerned by their sudden disappearance. Crows, being highly intelligent and social birds, tend to establish strong bonds with their environments and those who feed them, so their absence must have felt quite unsettling.
ReplyDeletea nice story with the crows, strange that they don't come anymore. I had a blackbird in the garden that was quite affectionate, it doesn't come anymore. It's sad
ReplyDeleteParece raro que los cinco muriesen a la vez, quizás han migrado a otra parte. Aunque los cuervos son sedentarios ha habido casos de cambios de territorio sin motivo aparente. Aun así me alegro que de nuevo tengáis cuervos en vuestra casa. David un fuerte abrazo desde el norte de España.
ReplyDeleteStunning photos. Gorgeous bird.
ReplyDeleteHi David.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame that they were suddenly gone and now you may have new ones.
Hope that some more will come to you.
Greetings from Patricia.
Hi David.
ReplyDeleteOur crow, "Corvus corax" is a much more suspicious and very intelligent bird.
In other times, they were collected while still in the nests and raised as pets (for this they had to clip their wings).
They learned to socialize with their owners and even to pronounce words.
Fortunately, such practices are no longer allowed.
All the best,
JR
Sounds like they've put their wings to good use. Perhaps they are visiting relatives due to some large family event at another location and will return. :)
ReplyDeleteLos cuervos son muy inteligentes, me gustan mucho, por aquí no se acercan al jardín. Yo tampoco he visto los mirlos en el jardín, otros años venían varios, pero si hay bastantes tordos. Besos.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post and photographs.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit of a mystery, but I do wonder if the new crows could be some of the original five's offspring.
All the best Jan
It’s quite possible, I suppose.
DeleteWhat beautiful birds - they don't come that close to the house here, they make do with the field next door. But magpies come to the house almost every morning.
ReplyDeleteDear David, about your question on my blog. I was born in Dresden and grew up to Dresden. After the border opened!!! we went on vacation to Norway for many years - initially with the children - I love Norway og I have friends in Norway. That's why I finally learned Norwegian at the adult education center in Dresden and started the blog to deal with the language.
In 2019 I traveled to Ireland with a friend for a pottery course - it was my first time in an English-speaking country. The Irish were so friendly to me even though I barely spoke the language, so I decided to learn a little English and gradually converted my blog to English. This year I was able to use my English a little... Ben, my husband speaks better than me...there was an English teacher at his school. I hope I'm making progress with the language :-))
Dearest greetings.
Your command of English is exceptional, Viola.
DeleteKiitos, kauniita kuvia "variksistanne" tai Miriamin variksista. Ihmeellistä, miten ne katosivat. Ikävää. Ymmärrän, että olette täynnä kysymyksiä. Vastaus katoamiseen löytyy joskus tai ei koskaan.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI love the crows, really I love all the birds. Miriam's photos are wonderful.
Great post! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great day and a happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
I hope your crow friends return to their old habits soon.
ReplyDeleteHow strange that they would simply change their habits when (as you say) food is waiting for them to eat safely. Nice photos! And nice book list!
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
What a wonderful post!...it is a beautiful tribute to Miriam.........Abrazotes, Marcela
ReplyDeleteWrony to bardzo inteligentne ptaki. I bardzo ciekawskie. Słyszałam, że jako jedyne ptaki ... potrafią się nudzić, bo szybko wynajduja potrzebny pokarm i mają trochę wolnego czasu. Stąd czas na zabawę i ludzkie przyjaźnie.
ReplyDeleteWe are very happy that they chose us to be their human friends. They were here this morning again, and we feed them scraps of meat.
DeleteHello David, indeed it made we wonder too why the Crows did not come to your garden enymore. Hope the "new" vistitors will feel at home soon. With all the attention they get from Miriam that will be no problem I am sure.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Roos