Spring 2024 Crow Sagas – Part 7

April 23, 2024April 16, 2024 / The Urban Nature Enthusiast / 2 Comments

MARVIN, MAVIS & LUCKY

The quickest way to tell if the crows in the garden or alley are Norman and Nancy or Marvin, Mavis and Lucky is to do a quick head count. Lucky is staying very close to mom and dad, even though he’s now almost two years old.

As we’ve seen in previous posts, they’ve got a solid family strategy of outnumbering and out-cawing the local competition (most Norman and Nancy) so they’re not messing with success.

I’m not sure where they are nest building — but I don’t think they’re as far along as Bongo and Bella as I still see all three of them every day, so Mavis isn’t yet sitting on eggs.

When we were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary earlier this spring one of the volunteers was talking about the family of Sandhill Cranes out there. The resident couple still have their colt from two springs ago (he’s called Evan) and he mentioned that having a fledgling around can actually impede the established pair’s mating process as the young one wants to get in the the act (the cranes to a very wonderful wing-flapping mating dance.) The teenager wants to join in and doesn’t know when three’s a crowd. I’m not sure this applies to crows though, but Marvin and Mavis didn’t have a new fledgling last year …

So many things I can hardly wait to get caught up on when we get back from our trip!

That’s the final update for the local crows, although I could ramble on about Barry and Beryl, who live on the berry tree street …

… and Angelo and Angela …

… but, oh dear, only so much time before we have to head to the airport, so they’ll have to wait until later.

I’ll try to post a little from the UK if I manage to sight and British Corvids.

If not, look for more local crow updates in late May!

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Spring 2024 Crow Saga – Part 6

April 22, 2024April 16, 2024 / The Urban Nature Enthusiast / 4 Comments

NORMAN AND NANCY’S TRYING TIMES

Poor Norman and Nancy are having a bit of a frustrating nesting season so far, working on their third nest so far.

Norman, hard at work at the beginning of April

The first nest, in one of the coveted red-leaved plum trees, disappeared without a trace overnight, so I suspect that humans, less excited than I would be to have a crow’s nest in front of the house, dismantled it.

Undaunted, they build again, this time in a large holly bush. It was very well hidden there — I only noticed what they were up to because Geordie was staring at the tree intently, convinced it harboured a raccoon.

That seemed like an excellent location, but they seem to have abandoned it — perhaps there really was a raccoon in there! They’re now working on nest no. 3 in another red-leaved plum tree across the street from us.

The new nest, containing bits of the weeping birch next door.

Norman, selecting furniture

Unfortunately, this new spot seems very exposed and I have a feeling that they still haven’t found that perfect location yet. We’re leaving for our trip tomorrow, so I’ll just have to see where they finally settle.

Norman and Nancy remain in contention with Marvin, Mavis and Lucky regarding “ownership” of our back yard. As the opposing team have the numerical advantage, so Norman and Nancy often have to concede, but keep coming back.

Tomorrow’s last instalment of the Spring 2024 Crow Chronicles will be a Marvin, Mavis and Lucky update.

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Spring 2024 Crow Sagas Part 3

April 19, 2024April 16, 2024 / The Urban Nature Enthusiast / 1 Comment

TENACIOUS BENJAMIN

Sighting of Ben, the crow with a curled back foot, are relatively rare as his territory is slightly out of my usual dog walking route.

Sometimes months go by without a sign of him and I think, oh dear …

And then … there he is again.

We saw him last winter on a walk to New Brighton park. We passed through his territory and he followed us all the way to busy Hastings Street.

At New Brighton Park we found that the outdoor swimming pool, closed to humans for the winter, had been co-opted by bird bathers — gulls, ducks and lots of crows.

There were hundreds of crows in the trees near the pool, and out of the crowd, one landed near us on the fence. Guess who …?

More weeks and months went by with not a trace of Ben, but just last week we saw him on our way back from a Sunday walk to the East Hastings Farmers Market. He was looking in fine form.