Having watched Norm and Nancy work so hard at the nesting game, spring after spring, with not a single fledgling to show for it, I’ve been thrilled to see them now parenting two little ones.
Now, admittedly, they may be wondering what the heck they signed up for—a common phenomenon among first-time parents.
Mum, mum, mum …!
I have been on the look out for fledglings in Norman and Nancy’s territory for weeks. Finally, in early June, I caught sight of one!
Given that Norman and Nancy live right beside our house AND that I had been fledgling-seeking for so long , it’s pretty remarkable how under-wraps they managed to keep this one.
And, as it turns out, there were two of them! Both baby crows had grey eyes by the time I spotted them, rather than the blue of a brand new fledgling. This means that Norman and Nancy managed to keep them very well hidden and safe for at least a couple of weeks before they made any kind of public debut.
Norman with the two babies
I had been looking forward to writing this happy post, but yesterday things took a turn.
I got a message from our neighbours to say that a crow had flown into their window and was unconscious. By the time I rushed over, the neighbour had approached the baby with a view to rescue, but the fledgling woke up and flew off.
I spent the rest of yesterday and all of today trying to see if little window-crasher had survived or not. It’s been difficult, as it’s so hot the crows are keeping the babies quiet and hidden up in the cooler tree canopies.
Early this morning my heart sank when I saw Norman, Nancy and a single fledgling up on the Hydro pole at the end of the lane. (Note that, at 7am, it’s already warm enough for the crows to have their beaks open to cool down.)
I kept wandering back to the same area for half an hour or so because I was almost sure I heard another fledgling in a nearby tree. I’ve been back a few times now and can say, with relative confidence, that there are still two fledglings. I haven’t managed to get a photo of them both together, but I have seen two at once and both seem relatively (given the heat) chipper.
Hopefully Crasher has learned a valuable lesson that he or she will carry into the future.
Stay safe, little ones!
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