It is late December. In fact, tomorrow is New Year's Eve. And you would think the local Crows were gearing up for a party.
What is all the commotion about? Is it an abundance of tasty garbage put out early by families off to visit relatives? Is it the smell of lots of holiday cooking? Or is it, as I suspect, the run up to mating season?
The Crows are around, and they're scattered all over roof tops. It is not a roost, it's local family in their territory. And they are cawing their brains out. Something damn important is being decided, and I think it must be along the lines of who all is mating, where all nests are to be built, who all is in charge of what, and a whole lot of other deciding and planning.
There is such a ruckus from early morning until early evening that even Fig, who usually stays in bed until 10 or even 11a.m., especially in the cold of winter, is up at bloody 7a.m.!!!! That is still late though because her family is up at 5 or 6a.m. most mornings before the sun. I must have the world's most wonderful neighbors.
It does not even matter if I let Fig sleep inside. She hears the conversation outside, through the lengthy fan ducts, perfectly well, and she feels compelled to join in the political discussions. There are plenty of other times of the year when wild Crows are up early making loads of noise, but this is the only time of year that Fig is excited enough to actually wake up, and emerge from her cozy sleeping box to join in...after only 7 hours of sleep mind you! So this time of year is especially significant in some way, and I have to take measures to ensure that Fig, my family, and neighbors can all get enough sleep.
I have to bring her in, talk to her, and give her some breakfast to get her to quiet down. She soon forgets about the Crows outside and goes back to sleep after a nibble. In fact, she quiets down and forgets them so well, it rather feels like she doesn't much like them, despite the fact that she vigorously converses with them.
Just to test this theory out, I put on my jacket and took out Fig's tethers. She utterly freaked. What??!!! Are you kidding? You are NOT taking me outside today!!! Fig will usually put up a certain amount of objection to going out, especially when it is cold out. But I can usually sway her to change her mind. In fact, changing her mind is a prominent characteristic of her personality. She will usually issue a rejection if I request to do just about anything, which I will accept. Then after a few minutes of thinking it over, she will change her mind and enthusiastically say, Hey, alright, let's do that! But today, there was utterly no hope of changing her mind. I tried hard to convince her that it would be fun to go out and join in, to see everyone, but she was absolutely not going to go to this church potluck.
It seems to me, that she loves her mother immensely. Her mom is out there two or three blocks away at times, and in all the cacophony, I can pick out the mother's distinct voice, and clearly hear that Fig is holding a conversation mainly with her mother who after three years apart, still has unfaltering devotion to Fig, in fact, I think she may be her favorite kid. Fig is after all, the kid who has stayed at home. The mother is around, chatting with Fig off and on, almost daily, mainly in the mornings and late afternoons. But the thought of going outside, with so many unfamiliar, confident siblings swarming about is just too much for poor, delicate Figgy, the unfortunate runt of the litter.
It appears that Crows, too, dread holidays with their relatives.
Note: I am guessing that this year is going to be a very serious mating season with loads of offspring. It feels like the year, three years ago when Fig was born. That was another big year with loads of enthusiastic activity. The two years since were very quiet with very few offspring. In fact, this last year, it appeared to me that Fig's mother only manage a single baby, and I think it died, which may explain why the mother has given Fig so much extra attention this year. It appears to me that she is going to nest higher up this year, and close to our building, if not right on top of it again. This will ensure a very noisy fledge in mid May, which ought to be exciting, but it also presents me with the problem of keeping Fig quiet which has not been a problem the last two years as I think Fig's presence caused her mother to choose other more private nest locations the last two seasons, but now the mother seems to have accepted that Fig is simply a person in her neighborhood, in her favorite building, and will nest where she used to, if she so wishes. Well, we'll see. I am planning to replace Fig's fences very soon with new material to help fend off any hormone crazed territory defenders come early March who may be inclined to attack her, and drive her away.
What is all the commotion about? Is it an abundance of tasty garbage put out early by families off to visit relatives? Is it the smell of lots of holiday cooking? Or is it, as I suspect, the run up to mating season?
The Crows are around, and they're scattered all over roof tops. It is not a roost, it's local family in their territory. And they are cawing their brains out. Something damn important is being decided, and I think it must be along the lines of who all is mating, where all nests are to be built, who all is in charge of what, and a whole lot of other deciding and planning.
There is such a ruckus from early morning until early evening that even Fig, who usually stays in bed until 10 or even 11a.m., especially in the cold of winter, is up at bloody 7a.m.!!!! That is still late though because her family is up at 5 or 6a.m. most mornings before the sun. I must have the world's most wonderful neighbors.
It does not even matter if I let Fig sleep inside. She hears the conversation outside, through the lengthy fan ducts, perfectly well, and she feels compelled to join in the political discussions. There are plenty of other times of the year when wild Crows are up early making loads of noise, but this is the only time of year that Fig is excited enough to actually wake up, and emerge from her cozy sleeping box to join in...after only 7 hours of sleep mind you! So this time of year is especially significant in some way, and I have to take measures to ensure that Fig, my family, and neighbors can all get enough sleep.
I have to bring her in, talk to her, and give her some breakfast to get her to quiet down. She soon forgets about the Crows outside and goes back to sleep after a nibble. In fact, she quiets down and forgets them so well, it rather feels like she doesn't much like them, despite the fact that she vigorously converses with them.
Just to test this theory out, I put on my jacket and took out Fig's tethers. She utterly freaked. What??!!! Are you kidding? You are NOT taking me outside today!!! Fig will usually put up a certain amount of objection to going out, especially when it is cold out. But I can usually sway her to change her mind. In fact, changing her mind is a prominent characteristic of her personality. She will usually issue a rejection if I request to do just about anything, which I will accept. Then after a few minutes of thinking it over, she will change her mind and enthusiastically say, Hey, alright, let's do that! But today, there was utterly no hope of changing her mind. I tried hard to convince her that it would be fun to go out and join in, to see everyone, but she was absolutely not going to go to this church potluck.
It seems to me, that she loves her mother immensely. Her mom is out there two or three blocks away at times, and in all the cacophony, I can pick out the mother's distinct voice, and clearly hear that Fig is holding a conversation mainly with her mother who after three years apart, still has unfaltering devotion to Fig, in fact, I think she may be her favorite kid. Fig is after all, the kid who has stayed at home. The mother is around, chatting with Fig off and on, almost daily, mainly in the mornings and late afternoons. But the thought of going outside, with so many unfamiliar, confident siblings swarming about is just too much for poor, delicate Figgy, the unfortunate runt of the litter.
It appears that Crows, too, dread holidays with their relatives.
Note: I am guessing that this year is going to be a very serious mating season with loads of offspring. It feels like the year, three years ago when Fig was born. That was another big year with loads of enthusiastic activity. The two years since were very quiet with very few offspring. In fact, this last year, it appeared to me that Fig's mother only manage a single baby, and I think it died, which may explain why the mother has given Fig so much extra attention this year. It appears to me that she is going to nest higher up this year, and close to our building, if not right on top of it again. This will ensure a very noisy fledge in mid May, which ought to be exciting, but it also presents me with the problem of keeping Fig quiet which has not been a problem the last two years as I think Fig's presence caused her mother to choose other more private nest locations the last two seasons, but now the mother seems to have accepted that Fig is simply a person in her neighborhood, in her favorite building, and will nest where she used to, if she so wishes. Well, we'll see. I am planning to replace Fig's fences very soon with new material to help fend off any hormone crazed territory defenders come early March who may be inclined to attack her, and drive her away.
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