To be scared that I’m still marked by the crows?

[ChoccyOrangeYum]

A couple of years ago I walked the dog on a local field. I know nothing about birds but I was later told it was their breeding season.

Anyway we must have got too close to their nests as they suddenly started flying around irrationally, making a hell of a racket screaming etc and then started dive bombing the dog. The dog thought this was fun so started chasing the crows. All hell broke loose basically and we were suddenly surrounded by crows going mental. We made a quick exit!!

I left it a few days then took the dog back on the field but after speaking to locals about the crows I stayed away from the back of the field (where they’re breeding) and kept dog in lead. As soon as we stepped on the field the noise started up again and the crows appeared and started dive bombing again! There was someone else on the field with a dog who the crows were totally ignoring!

We left and after a bit of research I found that crows remember faces and don’t forgive easily 😬 so we didn’t go back on.

A whole year later we went back on assuming the old crows won’t be there anymore but we were on there 5 minutes before it all started again. These birds are not bothering anyone else on the field, just me!!

Anyway my neighbour has suggested we go for a walk in the field tomorrow morning but I’m shit scared of the birds. Will they still go for me if I don’t have the dog?! Will they ever move on from the incident 2 years ago or am I banned from the field for life?!

ha ha

caw caw

Don't say that!

You are crushing my dreams . . . 😔

@ChoccyOrangeYum - if there are no crows, please say so. We will forgive you because this thread has brought so much joy to so many.

But we are seriously getting a bit worried now that somethings happened - not necessarily crow-related, but something.

Many of us are Ole Wimmin and can do without the stress.

Jeez I miss the penis beaker days, can we not go back to that? At least it was interesting!

If you don't like this thread, no-one is forcing you to follow it @Wanna17 . And you don't need to be so snarky about @Somatosensational 's "chough" pun, either, or the little pigeon story. I liked them and I'll bet others did, too.

Maggies are not corvids

British ones are, @echt . Aussie ones not. They are just blessed with similar intelligence and striking appearance.

Edited after checking on the "crowness" of Aussie "maggies", and then having an undignified tussle with autocorrect
.

… did you get taken down by the crows?

I'm afraid you're now blacklisted, wearing a disguise is the only way forward now and consider one for the dog too ;)
Take some cheese and other tasty treats then once the birds accept you whip off the disguise and shout ' gottcha'

Crying 🤣🤣🤣

It’s too late, she’s already crow-ked it 😞

I'm hooked on crow-watch now. Even set-up me #CrowmiesHoodProtection racket 🤘

How did it go? Hoping you survived 😱

@MNHQ
is it time to send a search party? Welfare check? Troll check?

Have you got any friends with big dogs. GSD or maybe a Rotty. Actually a terrier of any sort will probably be ideal. Arrange to meet them for an off the lead play in the field and let your dogs off the lead. By the time the funs over they will either have learnt their lesson or the problem will have disappeared.

Have you heard the expression 'dont bring a knife to a gunfight'

In case anyone thinks the previous post was serious.....it wasnt.

Ive had similar issues with the family of swans at the pond where we live. Considering i walk past them 2 or 3 x per day it needed sorted. I have it now i can walk within 2 yards of them with the dogs off the lead with their smallest cygnets and nothing more than a side-eye from both parties. I actually walk ahead now and video the interactions. My boys try not to get eye contact with them.

I think that whoosh was a crow the point flying over @Wanna17's head. 😂

I recommend the fascinating book Mind of the Raven. Corvids are incredibly intelligent. The bad news is, they can still differentiate between people wearing full disguises. I'm not sure what to suggest for you and your dog; maybe goggles?!

I find I must return in desolate hope to check for OP's update. Alas, she is missing but her work lives on, and this thread still provides a sound return on my investment.

Somehow I missed the fatball thread before today and have just spent literally 10 minutes helplessly crying with laughter. Thanks MN 😂

Here is another poem from Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow by Ted Hughes.

Crow's Song of Himself

When God hammered Crow
He made gold
When God roasted Crow in the sun
He made diamond
When God crushed Crow under weights
He made alcohol
When God tore Crow to pieces
He made money
When God blew Crow up
He made day
When God hung Crow on a tree
He made fruit
When God buried Crow in the earth
He made man
When God tried to chop Crow in two
He made woman
When God said: 'You win, Crow,'
He made the Redeemer.

When God went off in despair
Crow stropped his beak and started in on the two thieves Choccy.

In my Amazon basket at this very moment - thank you for the recommendation

I blame Ted Hughes' Crow for my 20 year + fascination with crows. I like to think there's a bit of Crow in all crows. Especially the ones I am now currently courting every evening, at around 6pm, with cat biscuits.

Feel cheated that the OP never came back @ChoccyOrangeYum you captured the hearts and minds of many a MNer and have failed to return!

I hope those crows caw extra loudly at you from now on!

My own 30yr+ love of crows comes from another of Ted Hughes poems. Not sure if it is as GCSE or A-Level when I read this.

Examination at the Womb-Door

Who owns those scrawny little feet? Death.
Who owns this bristly scorched-looking face? Death.
Who owns these still-working lungs? Death.
Who owns this utility coat of muscles? Death.
Who owns these unspeakable guts? Death.
Who owns these questionable brains? Death.
All this messy blood? Death.
These minimum-efficiency eyes? Death.
This wicked little tongue? Death.
This occasional wakefulness? Death.

Given, stolen, or held pending trial?
Held.

Who owns the whole rainy, stony earth? Death.
Who owns all of space? Death.

Who is stronger than hope? Death.
Who is stronger than the will? Death.
Stronger than love? Death.
Stronger than life? Death.

But who is stronger than Death?
Me, evidently.
Pass, Crow.

Oh. My. God. Mind blown and a mystery potentially solved.

We’ve fed the birds ever since we moved here a few years ago. Corvid-wise we mostly have jackdaws, but also a pair of magpies and a solitary crow.

For the past couple of years I’ve been chuntering to DH about the weird crap I find on the lawn and patio near the bird feeders. Random bits of metal, a couple of quite big screws and once, memorably, the metal part of a mouse trap. I have never known how these things appear or why they’re always in the same part of the garden.

It’s the bloody crow bringing us “thank you for lunch” presents, isn’t it?

Most likely yes. 😁

@SoundTheSirens "thank you for lunch presents" is making me smile and the whole concept of corvid turn-and-turn-about is just amazing, isn't it?

N.B. I also chunter though mine often continues "on".

@TheMoth wise woman indeed -especially if you also keep the cat that eats the biscuits 😊

Just seen this horror crow tiktok! https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe2uWPYL/. How many?

That is terrifying

That's a scary video - very The Birds like.

I have heard of gulls coming inland in large groups when there are sea storms but nothing like this. When I was a teenager we had a field of oystercatchers once outside our home and I have seen a field of magpies before (about 30-40).

@SoundTheSirens Mystery solved! The Corvids like you.