This is to answer tsduff's kind enquiries as to the story of my pet crow from my last post.When I was about 9 or so I happened to be at our local park when I noticed a group of 'big boys' (read 12 or 13 years old) huddled in a group peering at the ground.
Wondering what they were looking at, I crept closer and saw that they had trapped a crow with a broken wing.
Edging closer, I could hear some of their conversation.
"Wow, I can't believe Darren winged that thing. That was way cool."
"Now what do ya wanna do with it?"
"I dunno...wanna drown in the pool?"
Well, that was quite enough for me.
I pushed my little 9 year old self into the middle of the group yelling, "Get away from him. You're NOT going to drown him."
Those boys never knew what hit 'em.
I grabbed that bird right out from under their snotty little noses and ran all the way back home with him.
We splinted his wing as best we could (thanks mom and dad) and kept him in an open box in the kitchen.
The egg/raw hamburger mixture went over well.
He seemed to grow stronger so we took to letting him run around outside, hoping he'd be able to flap his way back to flying strength.
And then one day he flew-hopped away, and we never saw him again.
I hope he survived.
It wasn't but a little while longer that my dear friend 'Pol showed up with a baby crow for us to nurse.
We named him 'Crow', too.
He did better; he managed to fly away to his new life.
I'll never forget what a wild bird smells like after that though.
They smell of earth and dust, and something else I've never been quite able to identify that lingers just underneath.
Perhaps it's the smell of the wind?
17 comments:
It could be the smell of the wind, or of the sky, perhaps.
A little nine-year old girl taking on the village preteens... why can I just see you doing that?
Feisty, you were, and still are.
I love this story. Thanks so much for sharing it, and the picture too. I love crow, ravens, jays, magpies... all the corvids. I have longed to have one of my own for a very long time. Through my efforts at being the Species Manager of the corvids at our local wildlife museum, you would have thought I'd get lucky. But no, only millions of baby jays to nurse - mostly Scrubs and a few Stellar's mixed in. I had a huge crow following at my place of employment, where they would wait impatiently like vultures in the eucalyptus trees for me to arrive in the mornings bearing food. I actually got written up (in a BAD way)in my performance review for feeding them... my boss was a crabby New Yorker who feared birds. I'm so impressed by your fearlessness, saving a crow from those bullies. Bird cruelty infuriates me too.
Wild birds do have their own smell - it is in their feathers. Beautiful post Tai :-)
Hey Tai!
I hope all is well.
That was a good "Did You NEED to Know?" list...Well done!
You're like a regular Florence Nightingale...for crows...That's pretty cool. I know what you mean about the wild bird smell that's sort of hard to describe...
Take care out there, Tai!
Your Pal,
Zambo.
You seem so kind-hearted. This is a wonderful story - thanks for sharing it.
I can well believe it.
What a cool story.
Ooh, I know that smell you're talking about. I haven't smelled it in so long I had forgotten about it. It's a sweet, earthy smell. We had a baby blue jay once. He had fallen out of the tree and his feathers were just starting to grow. He didn't survive, though. I gave him a proper burial in my pet cemetary I made down by the pond.
Or maybe it's just a hint of death...
OK, maybe not. That was very couragous of you to rescue the crow from the clutches of sadistic boys.
Crows and Ravens are my favourite creatures. Thank you for saving them:)
I know that smell. It is unique!
I have a friend with a rescued crow. He has a mangled leg, was very young when they got him. Since living in their home, he has picked up something of his own language.... and strangely he has plucked out his own flight feathers. I think he is trying to fit in with the Earthbound residences (dogs, kids, grown-ups). He is an eccentric character.
Hi Tai
My first post was about a bird that flew in through the window of my car and ended up in the back of my van while I was driving to work. I thought he was dead, but when I went to remove the body, somehow he managed to survive. He did have a broken leg. We let him loose over in a grassy area and when I came out after work he was gone. I also wonder if he survived.
Wendy is currently indulging in a hatred of crows -- I know it will be temporary, kind-hearted soul that she is. But, you see, we have this robin's nest in our rose arbor. A nest that Wendy has been checking on many times a day. The other day it went under assault by marauding crows -- who I have always regarded as the 'bikers' of the avian world. Frantic Mom and Pop robin did their best to drive them away. We don't know if they did damage, but Mom is back on the nest. But, it will be a while before my dear wife forgives them. She's a harsh mistress, is old Ma Nature.
Ian, actually, they ARE the bikers of the bird world and I have always referred to them as such. Being a biker myself, I am alluding to (and applauding) their humor, comical playfulness, incredible intelligence, bravado, ariel maneuvering talent, raucous and uncouth behavior, and yes, the survival mode (they do eat baby birds for breakfast). Did you know that nesting squirrels will also rob a bird nest for the protein fix when they are nursing their own litter? Nobody calls them anything but cute. Hmm - I am sorry about the robin family - hope things turn out okay.
You are a superhero at age 9, and you still rock now.
~Deb
Way to go 9 year old you. That's cool.
Even if you are inadvertently helping to spread avian flu.
That's a cute, sweet story. Good for you for saving a little baby from the mean kids.
I had a similar incident last year, but was 22 and the kids throwing rocks and sticks were about 8 or 9. I took the poor little crow home with me and fed it with a dropper.
akes me wish i had a bird to care for. I foud a baby a fe years ago that fell out of the nest. After a few hours in the sun I took him in. managed to find a rehab bidr person, so he was fine. He sure was cute, and noisy too.
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