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?!

Looking forward to the update!

Do not make friends with them if you have a cat and there are fledglings.

Years ago my cat picked up a jay fledgling fallen from the nest. DH heard loud screeching outside and had to rescue the cat from furious jays. The fledgling was unhurt but could not fly so was taken to a local sanctuary.

The parents and all their relations laid siege to our house. The cat could not put her head out of doors, this went on for days.

Finally in desperation I went out and spoke to them. There were about seven adults perched on the roof of the extension looking menacing and judgmental. I told them we did not have the baby, it was alive and at the sanctuary… and they all took off and flew in that direction. They never came back or nested in our road again.

Learn something new every day! This is so interesting just from a quick google found this: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/revengeful-crows-target-mp-man-in-3-year-old-vengeance/amp_articleshow/70953675.cms

This has been a fascinating and hilarious (and terrifying!) read. OP, please update us tomorrow!

How exactly do they “tell the kids”? I assume the kids just see them attacking certain people/dogs and do the same.
My parents dog caught and killed an injured crow in the garden and was dive-bombed by the others for a couple of days, but they stopped after that.
They used to enjoy taunting the dog before that by sitting on the roof and just watching him as he went nuts below.

They live a long time. They tell their friends to bully you, and they pass this info down to the next generation.

Clearly gifting is the only way out of this pickle.
Failing that, a sacrifice.

May the force be with you. 😂

@ChoccyOrangeYum Crows absolutely don't forget faces.

I fed some one hard winter, and they recognised me amongst a crowd of people playing in the snow and followed hopefully... They are so bright.

A pest controller said they ''bombard'' his van as they know the sound of it and recognise him.

Don't worry about it.

Crows here don't mind being chased by dogs and play along.

Why don't you go alone, ie without the dog, and see what happens? My cat killed a magpie once and I think shot to the top of their most wanted list. The clamour and racket when she went outside wasn't ordinary. I have two cats and I know magpies have a predator alarm call, but they definitely reacted very badly when she appeared.

If it is your dog, well, there might be an opening for it in horror movies.

I love this thread! Crows are ace.

1st laugh of the New Year. Thanks.

Three years ago, my cat somehow managed to kill a young magpie on his first flight (it was awful) and he’s still paying the price.

They gather on all the rooftops surrounding our patio cawing loudly and divebomb him (not ever my other cat). I have to go out and rescue him.

They’re clearly teaching each new brood where the danger is, it’s fascinating.

My favourite school message ever was the one warning parents to be careful, as crows were attacking people on the walk to school.

@AInightingale Ha! Posted at the same time!

Absolutely not joking. Take cheese or cooked bacon and make amends.

Feed them!
They will then see you as a gift bringer .

Placemarking

This is why I love Mumsnet! I'll never upset a crow now.

Corvids have good memories and are highly intelligent, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility they recognise you. They can be vicious during breeding season. But they can also be friendly and playful, we have a stupidly 'tame' magpie, rescued four years ago as a young bird from a neighbouring cat.
Never have mirrors in your garden if you have corvids nearby, as they will injure themselves and fight their reflection, sometimes their injuries are so bad they don't survive .

I had no idea that they would remember til I fed them that winter.
They followed in a trail, flying low...I took a pic, annoyingly on my old external hard drive .. they are extremely intelligent.
they know dogs that can ''safely'' run with {they fly low, keeping a few metres ahead, while Whippets chase them.. they know these particular dogs won't hurt them.

When one of the Whippets caught a Squirrel, the crows gathered round, being really noisy and the Whippet left the Squirrel for the Crows...

Does anyone else really love the sound of crows in the trees or am I just weird.

I hadn't but I have now 😂😂😂

Never offend a corvid.

No, I love them too. Magical sound.

How many are there? There's a saying I'm surprised hasn't already been mentioned "a Crow in a crowd is a Rook, a Rook on its own is a Crow" not that it really makes a difference when it's attacking you 😉

You're going to be their enemy for a long while I'm afraid, they remember and they'll tell their kids about you if they spot you.

Interesting article about the experiments done here

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/science/26crow.html