Making friends with the crows

[Leftiris]

I've decided to make friends with the crows that feed on on my property.

I have three acres, of which two are heavily wooded, and an acre my home sits on is cleared. Nice open field. I had cut the grass just this morning. Early this evening it started to cool down, and I felt the pressure dropping and wind picking up. A short while later the wind blew in like Armageddon was coming. It stormed for a while, then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day again.

A murder of crows flew in and started to feed all over my yard. A hundred of them, easy. So, I decided to make an allegiance. Crows can be great allies. Mistreat them, and they can be worthy adversaries. They are highly intelligent, and even remember faces. Sometimes, if the bond is tight enough, they seem to pass it along from generation to generation about their allegiance with you, once a bond is established.

I laid out some peanuts for them, and some shiny screws and washers that were polished shiny. I figured they might could use them as tools, since they are known to use tools to complete tasks.

If they take the screws, I'll know I've got a murder on my side, watching over things from the trees.

I highly suggest making friends with the crows, if you've never tried it before.

[Maxmars]

Coincidentally, I have made friends with crows in my area. 

I noticed something strange since then... when the murder flies over my home, they stop barking and crowing... they fly over silently.  Strange, I think.  I don't know what it means, but I like to anthropomorphize it into "They refuse to disturb the peace around here" ... a kindness. 

Of course, it could just as well mean anything else... like "this guy is a jerk!" or "Shh, don't let him know were close." 

Lovely that you are reaching them... it will be joyful when they reach back.

[Leftiris]

Coincidentally, I have made friends with crows in my area. 

I noticed something strange since then... when the murder flies over my home, they stop barking and crowing... they fly over silently.  Strange, I think.  I don't know what it means, but I like to anthropomorphize it into "They refuse to disturb the peace around here" ... a kindness. 

Of course, it could just as well mean anything else... like "this guy is a jerk!" or "Shh, don't let him know were close." 

Lovely that you are reaching them... it will be joyful when they reach back.

They are showing you respect by not cawwing at you. Or, so I'd like to believe. I think I read something about that exact thing somewhere. That's its a respect of your peace an quiet.

Very cool. Youve got a crow posse.

[sprocketuk]

Great stuff folks!
I'll have to remember to check back in, I love crow stories.

[Nerb]

I like Crows too. I don't have many visit my 2 acres, but perhaps they too are silent when they do.

I used to live in the heart of the Cognac vines and boy were the ones that lived there smart.

Crows love to eat snails, but it's sometimes hard work for them getting them out of the shells. They get them from the grape vines where the snails munch happily. That's why the Viniculteurs spray copper sulphate/lime regularly (it's called Bordelaise).

The smart Crowss would put snails they gather in the road and wait patiently on the verge unafraid of traffic for a passing vehicle to run over them and then they would hop back to grab an easy feast of "snail à la squish".

Smart.

[Velvet Elvis]

Keep us updated on your attempt at befriending the crows. Did they take any of the gifts you offered? I love crows and ravens.  We have two ravens nests right now where I live and both of them have babies in them. 

I haven't made any attempts to feed or befriend our local raven population but it has crossed my mind before. I do feed the possums and raccoons in our neighborhood and each year the babies come back with their own litters. Some years the litters are more friendly than others. I've had some that would let me hand feed them.

[SideEyeEverything]

Ooooo, love this thread! I've been saying for awhile now that I want to befriend some crows but I can't even tell you the last time I saw any 'round here. I live in a pretty urban neighborhood so it may be that. We see them every so often but I haven't seen any since I decided to try making friends. Weeks and weeks...

[Waterglass]

I've decided to make friends with the crows that feed on on my property.

I have three acres, of which two are heavily wooded, and an acre my home sits on is cleared. Nice open field. I had cut the grass just this morning. Early this evening it started to cool down, and I felt the pressure dropping and wind picking up. A short while later the wind blew in like Armageddon was coming. It stormed for a while, then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day again.

A murder of crows flew in and started to feed all over my yard. A hundred of them, easy. So, I decided to make an allegiance. Crows can be great allies. Mistreat them, and they can be worthy adversaries. They are highly intelligent, and even remember faces. Sometimes, if the bond is tight enough, they seem to pass it along from generation to generation about their allegiance with you, once a bond is established.

I laid out some peanuts for them, and some shiny screws and washers that were polished shiny. I figured they might could use them as tools, since they are known to use tools to complete tasks.

If they take the screws, I'll know I've got a murder on my side, watching over things from the trees.

I highly suggest making friends with the crows, if you've never tried it before.

I dont know about "murder of crows" All I know is that they love our pizza crusts as we make pizza weekly and dont eat the outer diameter crust and toss it in the back yard so the crows and blue jays go wild over it. I also toss old tomatoes and vegetables that they can eat and the back yard is picked clean that day. 

As far as any "angry" crows or "doves" if  I see them "attacking" any song birds I will pop them with my Gamo pellet gun. Same goes for the turkey voultures To date since 2017 I only popped one crow so its not as if we have a massacare ongoing. 

But dont get me started on those evil grey squirrels

[CCoburn]

I've thought about this off and on for years. Ocassionally I see massive murders gathering about the treetops close by, but mostly on the treeline across the street behind Inland Fisheries.

I've also tossed pizza crust in the street when I see them hoping to make some friends but not dedicated enough to put any real time into it, plus their visits are kind of sporadic.

I even took some salt-free wafers in the car with me a while back just in case I happen upon any encounters. No luck yet, but while waiting for a friend in the supermarket there were some seagulls close by so I settled for those, and they accepted.

Often times I see chipmunks scurrying around when I'm out working on the car. There are three of them and they run all around my feet and everywhere. I put some food and water out for them a few times last year, and they also accepted.

But still, I wait, for the crows.

[baddmove]

My wife had a crow mama and her fledgeling fly into our picture window 4 years ago and the little one was stunned. She went out and helped it up onto our outddor swing while its mother watched and cawed at her. After that, she threw out some catfood on to the garage roof to feed them and to this day they come by every day for cat food and bring the whole murder with them. They are fun to hang out with because they don't poop where they eat and that's a good thing. lol. They defend their territory and sure do like to talk. We love having them here.