Birds Bathtime.

[mike]

Today near the Slough Park two Crows were in the tree near the old nest site, but neither of them was my friend with the frozen leg and toes bless him.I once went 7 months without seeing him again, but this time its 9 months to date so it does not look good, I say a pray every night and keep a watch when Im near the Slough again as I pass.

[mike]

HAVE to say Christmas and my birthday and a lotto win have all come the same day, today I saw my old friend the Crow with the frozen leg and toes fly close to the Slough Park with its mate.I saw two Crows near the chip shop as I parked the car and I heard the male Crow call 3 times, and when I parked up both Crows flew away from me, AND the one had the hanging leg and toes I could see from the side profile, just magical and a pray answered. Its 9 months since I last saw this wonderful Crow, how it manages to live I dont know because its so lop sided so how does it feed ? I can only imagine some good soul feeds the wild birds in their gardens close to here, and this Crow visits every day to get food, its the only explanation really. The good people who feed the birds at the lake here visit from time to time, but I dont believe they visited during the last lockdown, not sure ?

[mike]

Every year about this time I ask all you good people to think of the wild birds, and put food out for them during this hard time. Mixed corn or British finch which is smaller seed they love and will scoff down, place any feed where cats cannot ambush them and in a safe place, with the ground now hard the wild birds will find it hard to find grubs and things. The beauty of feeding the wild birds is seeing them next Summer back in your garden or around your home, its a small thing but for the wild birds feeding at this time of the year really helps them. Place any feed where it has the protection of a tree around it, this lets the small birds feed without fear of being the next meal for a passing Sparrow Hawk, they are agile enough to find food. Dont but peanuts for the Tits unless its the SAFE PEANUTS please, cattle feed peanuts are toxic to birds and will kill them over a period of 5 weeks from toxic buildup. MANY thanks and Happy Christmas to everyone who calls here .

[mike]

Seen the 3 Crows in the nesting tree today, and they chased off some pigeons that were close, but I dont know what will happen now the mother Crow has no mate, if the son takes over the family nesting site, it could happen ?

[mike]

Two Crows near the nesting tree today, all the Crows will be staking claims to old nesting sites soon, as they nest early in the year and will protect the old sites from last Summer. I dont know what will happen over the road with the Mother Crows mate not here, still have no news if he is alive or dead bless him brave soul. But her son may take the family nest over with his mate, he was born two Summers ago there, and has ties to this tree and nest. I shall wait and see what happens as the days grow longer again, and report back what I see and feel, I STILL look in the next door garden for the father Crow who had his wing broken, he sat there asking for help and I failed him, its a heavy weight on my shoulders to carry..

[mike]

Yesterday while riding home along the country lanes from shopping I saw 3 Crows where I leave birds and animals kitchen food that has gone overday or not wanted.I am sure the 3 Crows were the family that hatched in the tree over the road last Summer, the mother bird and the 2 children that hatched and she fed alone, it made me feel really good to know they were all about and well. I still dont know the fate of the father Crow that the cat broke its wing May21, I still even today each morning look to the fence where it sat that day looking at me asking for help, I will never forget I failed it and left it to get my pills from the chemist instead. True the Crow even with its damaged wing could move much faster than me, I would have had a hard job to catch it I know, YET I should have done much more and didnt, I really will regret that forever.

[mike]

While out today shopping for food I saw a Crow near the spot where I leave stale bread and things for the birds and animals, I put mixed corn in the bag and this goes down well with the wild birds. Its so good to see the birds feeding and knowing they have something inside them, at this time of the year anything left in a safe place for the birds will reward you in the Summer when they sing in your garden, any bird song is their thanks for helping them at this bad time of the year.

[mike]

Reading last night I found a male Crow is not mature for some years, so I wonder if the male Crow born 2 years ago is old enough to mate yet ? The 2 Crows come to the nesting tree often during the day, but will they repair the old nest, have to wait and see.....The Crow with the frozen leg I have not seen for 2 weeks now, hope its okay.I passed the Slough Park and saw a dark shape under tree, my heart skipped a beat, but it was a black glove in the grass.

[mike]

Exciting tonight I saw an hour before dark a Crow on the tree over the road with a large twig in its beak close to the old nest, I just hope its the son of the Crow which was caught and broke its wing last Summer May 21st, I shall never forget that day. it was such a wonderful bird that Crow, and I just wish I could have been more mobile, I would have kept that Crow in my garden safe and sound for life bless him. I know its against the law, but that Crow could almost talk to me, and I really let it down when it needed help, its a heavy weight to carry.

[mike]

Single male Crow is always close to home at all times of the day, but its almost always alone now.It calls in the tree and on the roofs but no female Crow comes to him, so I think its mate or friend has moved on which is a shame. I have noticed the Squirrels are active and often chase the Wood Pigeons in the trees over the road, they run at the birds with their tails bent in a U shape, must be a sign they are angry ??

[mike]

The single male Crow has been about all this week in the tree where it was born 2 years ago, BUT the mother and her 2 Crows born there have not been around for at least 2 months now, I have to think she has left her nesting tree now she has no mate. I still have not managed to find out the fate of the father Crow hurt when the cat caught it, I have rung the animal and bird place so many times now to check if they had it, AND every morning I check the fence where it rested that day asking for help, its a heavy load I carry being unable to help it that day....I feed all the birds local to me when I can, leaving food out during the Winter months, and within an hour its all gone, including potato peelings when I return along this road home.

[mike]

HAVENT seen a Swallow or Swift yet when I was out driving anywhere, thats makes them both a month late getting here from Africa, hope, hope they arrive soon, or the Summer for me will not come.

[mike]

Very upsetting today, I was driving into Bedworth when I saw a Jackdaw sitting on the chimney pot watching over its nest, when a Hawk jumped down the pot it was guarding, The Jackdaw tried to mob the Hawk, but I never saw what happened as the traffic moved and I dare not look anymore because of the traffic.

[mike]

Last week I saw a Buzzard take a baby Crow out of its nest near the M6 motorway, I could do nothing to help, and its mother was going frantic mobbing the Buzzard...And just today I saw a Crow mobbing a family of 4 Buzzards near this same area, they were all sitting on a pylon, and she had a go at all of them, now thats courage.

[mike]

During this week I watched a Crow rise from some line of trees to the se of where I live, it rose really high to the top of a electric pylon where 4 Buzzards were sitting. It mobbed them a few times but they never were bothered at all, then on the last dive at them something very bad happened. The Crow dived at one bird and it ducked and then struck out, the Crow set its wings in a V shape and just remained into wind dropping very slow without moving, a sure head strike. I watched the Crow dropping down slow into the wind from the se, it went below tree height and was gone, I just hoped the Crow had a knock on the head and no slash trauma its nature but at its worst. The Buzzards just all flew away a family group, unbothered and just another day to them.....Full story, from the last post, I never really understood what happened before, a sad ending.