My experience with various birds over the years has taught me some things about their development. Fig, however, is my first Crow, so a lot is new and unexpected. That's why it has been so fun to care for her.
Recently something interesting happened which gave me a small window into her young mind. I was at the park with Fig when we heard the familiar call of her Mom and Dad who guard their territory well, and together as an effective team, though I suspect they are aging as they produced no successful young this year (well, it looked like two or three, but I don't think any survived very long after fledging, it seems like small clutches are not as likely to survive compared with bigger clutches to me) and Dad is looking a bit worn around the edges. The park we were at is outside of their territory. Worse than that, it is inside the territory of a much larger, and aggressive clan of Crows. This clan has long since become familiar with Fig, and me, and have come to tolerate our use of "their" park, for the most part. It is rare that we attract much attention these days, but that has not always been so.
Anyway, the raucous clan was not around, but Fig's parents were both devotedly perched, a little unusually, side by side close together, facing in the same direction, which is unusual for Crows on guard, on a high building roof edge, about 4-500meters away, calling loudly to Fig. They wouldn't dare to come an inch closer, and Fig wouldn't dare to leave the perimeter and familiar safety of the park, but she did move to the far corner fence and managed to have an extended yelly chat with her parents. The love, and longing in her lean towards them, in her eyes, in her calls was that of an elementary school kid having just arrived back from an eternal three weeks at summer camp, leaning out the rickety old bus window yelling, Mom, Dad! tears welling up in their eyes.
As I took Fig home, her parents joined us, leapfrogging rooftop to rooftop calling with some excitement. Now, mind you, Fig's parents are somewhat cordial to me these days, which is new, but if siblings are around, or worse, if paired siblings are about with their mates, then I get a bit of an earful, along with some tigery growling while the males show off for their girl friends/fiancees. I do not know why, but a"parent"ly, parents views do not influence the clan as a whole, or maybe they simply don't express their views to the family, but I rather was wishing and hoping that they would. No such luck so far.
A few days later we were back at that park, and Fig eventually remembered her encounter with Mom and Pop, and returned to that corner fence to excitedly "call" them, but they were out late foraging. Fig was obviously disappointed, and was pretty persistent about checking for them, but they never showed up, which is rare. She did not seem too upset, thankfully.
Anyway, it was an interesting look at the parental bond which continues to endure in spite of two years with only sporadic contact, though recently the parents frequent the spaces around Fig's balcony rather often; perhaps because they lost this years fledglings? And I got a peek through the window of Fig's mental development. She still very much remembers and loves her parents, and craves their attention, but she continues to become.a strong, healthy independent individual, so all signs are good I think. I'm so proud of this little bird; she's like a daughter to me.
Recently something interesting happened which gave me a small window into her young mind. I was at the park with Fig when we heard the familiar call of her Mom and Dad who guard their territory well, and together as an effective team, though I suspect they are aging as they produced no successful young this year (well, it looked like two or three, but I don't think any survived very long after fledging, it seems like small clutches are not as likely to survive compared with bigger clutches to me) and Dad is looking a bit worn around the edges. The park we were at is outside of their territory. Worse than that, it is inside the territory of a much larger, and aggressive clan of Crows. This clan has long since become familiar with Fig, and me, and have come to tolerate our use of "their" park, for the most part. It is rare that we attract much attention these days, but that has not always been so.
Anyway, the raucous clan was not around, but Fig's parents were both devotedly perched, a little unusually, side by side close together, facing in the same direction, which is unusual for Crows on guard, on a high building roof edge, about 4-500meters away, calling loudly to Fig. They wouldn't dare to come an inch closer, and Fig wouldn't dare to leave the perimeter and familiar safety of the park, but she did move to the far corner fence and managed to have an extended yelly chat with her parents. The love, and longing in her lean towards them, in her eyes, in her calls was that of an elementary school kid having just arrived back from an eternal three weeks at summer camp, leaning out the rickety old bus window yelling, Mom, Dad! tears welling up in their eyes.
As I took Fig home, her parents joined us, leapfrogging rooftop to rooftop calling with some excitement. Now, mind you, Fig's parents are somewhat cordial to me these days, which is new, but if siblings are around, or worse, if paired siblings are about with their mates, then I get a bit of an earful, along with some tigery growling while the males show off for their girl friends/fiancees. I do not know why, but a"parent"ly, parents views do not influence the clan as a whole, or maybe they simply don't express their views to the family, but I rather was wishing and hoping that they would. No such luck so far.
A few days later we were back at that park, and Fig eventually remembered her encounter with Mom and Pop, and returned to that corner fence to excitedly "call" them, but they were out late foraging. Fig was obviously disappointed, and was pretty persistent about checking for them, but they never showed up, which is rare. She did not seem too upset, thankfully.
Anyway, it was an interesting look at the parental bond which continues to endure in spite of two years with only sporadic contact, though recently the parents frequent the spaces around Fig's balcony rather often; perhaps because they lost this years fledglings? And I got a peek through the window of Fig's mental development. She still very much remembers and loves her parents, and craves their attention, but she continues to become.a strong, healthy independent individual, so all signs are good I think. I'm so proud of this little bird; she's like a daughter to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment