In Defence of Crows

In Defence of Crows 

They have appeared as symbols of evil in the movies since the birth of film. I name The Omen, as the one most people will remember. Ugly scarecrows placed in fields by farmers reinforce that theory, though would they not be helpful to pick and eat crop munching bugs and insects?  

They may be noisy, yes; that much is true. Perhaps the reason some people don’t like them it is because we are so busy and tired, yet they have time to just flap around and actually play together, have some silly fun. 

I defend them also because they are so bright, and can find a way to overcome whatever barriers life places in front of them. I have a pretty little feeding table in my tiny garden; it was placed there for the tiny birds, the pretty ones, Blue Tits, Wrens, Chaffinches and the like. Pretty much everyday, a big black crow comes along and lands on our garage roof and takes a quick sly look around, then he pop’s over to the corner of my shed and from there a tiny hop landing sideways, grabbing simultaneously the roof of the dainty bird house (which he has now damaged) and the base of the feeder with his great claw feet. Then, with a grip of steel with the feet, he releases his beak grip on the roof and bobs his huge head into the small opening at the sides and takes whatever I have placed in there. He makes sure he is holding it securely, then does a dangerous ‘back fall off’ manoeuvre that he must have watched a snowboarder perform on TV through my window, before flying off home. 

They are totally fearless and will attack much bigger birds who are too close to their nests or even who are flying where they want to fly, or looking at them in a funny way. The have the nerve of the devil.  

I recently became the proud owner of a new phone, and chose a ring tone that sounds like a woodpecker drilling. Yesterday, I twice sprang to answer a call and thought I must have imagined it when I saw that there was no call waiting to be answered. The crow is sitting on the garden wall imitating my phone’s ring tone!!!!!!   

A Murder of Crows 

Crows,

They can be annoying

We’re mostly agreed are we not?

Chattering outside the house

Up there on the chimney pot 

The Common Crow

(Though don’t say that to his face)

He’s a clever little chap

Though not one you want to embrace 

The family Corvidae

His flight path sometimes acrobatic

Intelligent beyond belief

A character both dark and dramatic. 

Mr Crow Sir,

So fearlessly brave and attentive

We should ‘eat crow’, apologise

And wish that we were so inventive 

A Murder of Crows

How come you are so abused?

Collectively, it’s so unfair

Too smart to be so cruelly accused!