It is nesting season for the crows and it is at this time that they become particularly aggressive. If they were much bigger they would be downright dangerous. They all turn into mother bears with feathers and wings and they have no scruples about attacking any living thing that pisses them off no matter how big or scary it might be.
I used to hate crows. I have grown to admire and respect them. They are such incredibly intelligent beings and once, they even saved my life. I have already written about this. To put it concisely, three cawing crows alerted me to three rather scary looking guys approaching me from behind in the forest of Stanley Park. They did not have to do this for me. But I had been careful to befriend the local crow population, speaking to them gently and courteously. They seemed to respond with friendly curiosity.
Ever since I successfully calmed a pair of parent crows by feeding berries to their nestling in the forest I have thought of extending this action while walking on residential streets. These are the places where the crows become particularly obnoxious, chasing and dive-bombing any and everyone who walks through their nesting territory.
Crows appear to have their own community, or nation, or perhaps we could call it a city. They are a parallel community that lives not with us but beside us. Being highly intelligent, social and communicative birds, they must also have their own unique social and political organization. Like it or not, we coexist and we need to recognize and respect this.
I have been feeding the crows off and on for over a year, now. I try not to do this too often, nor too generously. On one occasion they took my generosity way too for granted and I was caught in my own Hitchcock moment as a flock of up to thirty crows came flying at me one day, all with the expectation of being fed. I now try to take care to not offer food oftener than once a week in the same neighbourhood, with but this exception....
Being their nesting season, the birds are particularly edgy right now, and will start cawing and freaking out neurotically at the presence of any human walking, biking or skateboarding through their nesting territory, Whenever I notice the crows getting restless, especially if I see one of their chicks present, I pull out the trail mix and gently call to them in Spanish (they seem to respond well to the rhythm and sound of the language of Cervantes). I will sprinkle just a little bit on the ground then continue walking. They calm right down, and then go for their free little snack. I so far have not been attacked by one single crow this nesting season, not while feeding them from time to time. Coincidence? Time will tell.
I am reminded of one crow last winter who almost dropped a scrap soup bone on my head. I have absolutely no doubt that that was one of the birds I fed, and this was his way of saying thank you.
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