I know mumsnet tend to enjoy a crow story but if anyone knows anything about corvids I could really do with some advice!
About a year ago I started feeding a local crow family - nothing too formal, I’d just walk across to the park where they hang out, throw some food down, watch them eat and then we’d all move on with our day.
Over time they started meeting me on the park, if they weren’t there when I arrived they soon would be once I arrived. Two crows in particular became very reliable in showing up and one started coming very close to me. All very friendly.
In spring this pair had a baby and very cutely they brought this baby to meet me on the park. I know crows are notoriously protective of their young so I didn’t pay it too much attention, just carried on feeding the adults as normal.
trouble is this baby crow never seemed to have the usual wariness that the adults had, it would land right next to me, run up to me across the floor, land on fences right next to me - it didn’t give a shit.
3 months on this baby crow is now a juvenile and seems to have become a bit obsessed with me.
Now - today!! Omg … I walked out of my house and 5 crows were sat on my roof waiting for me - as I walked down the drive 3 of them performed fly bys over my head (one has done this before in a playful way but never 3 of them and never at my actual house!!!) as I walked to the field they followed closely performing multiple fly bys, landing on lamp posts, fences, signs etc … all around me. I got to the field and fed them there as usual but juvenile crow wouldn’t leave me alone … normally they just stay at the feeding spot but today he carried on following me and then … he mobbed me!! He flew up behind me and started flapping around my head, wouldn’t go away - I don’t know if he was contemplating landing ON me or actually being aggressive?! I left the park sharpish but he carried on flying towards me and I had to keep turning to face him to put him off.
what have I done?? Why does he hate me all of a sudden?? He’s now sat on my back fence just staring at the house 😬 are they just really hungry because of the relentless weather or have I made an enemy of this bird somehow?