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?!

Honestly. I'd go with bread/bird seed. Scatter some and leave. They'll start to associate you with food, and will leave you alone.

Bread is a terrible food for birds and can make them very unwell!

Great thread, birds are very intelligent. We have crows, black birds, magpies all in the trees across the road. Boy do they fight in spring. It's really fascinating watching them, the crows seem to have the upper hand.

I have two giant cherry trees in my garden and the magpies are very calculated in stealing the fruit. One sits watching my patio doors and the second I step outside there's a warning noise from the watcher and they fly off.

Some After Eight mints and a bunch of carnations?
Or a massive blunderbuss.

Best thread ever! Can’t wait for the update.

I love the idea of going in disguise with food then having to explain to your friend 🤣

If you’re thinking of feeding them, minced beef or chicken or rabbit would go down a treat.

Hurry up OP!

The Ravens at the Tower of London are amazing. One of the Beefeaters ( Scott Kelly goes by tag of Beefy409) befriended one called Merlin and has great videos on YouTube and FB of Merlin trying to get in his part open window and getting so pissed off he deliberately knocks over any ornaments he can reach with his beak and steals the coasters.

We had a 'pet' crow (called Croaky) for 18 months. My Dad is a regular Dr Doolittle and is always rescuing animals and birds.

Anyway, once he was well, he flew off. For around 10 years though, he would pop back and shout hello to us from the big tree outside the back door. He also used to accompany my mother for a short time on her walk ro the bus stop each morning. (We knew it was him as he had no tail feathers - they never grew back after his accident, which is why it took him so long to learn to fly again)

That makes me sound quite mad, I totally appreciate that.

Ok DH has been, crows were there watching he says but no assault. I’m just about to meet neighbour now and will update in either -
10 mins - it did not go well and I legged it home

1 hour - I’m now at peace with the crows

wish me luck! 🦅

Monkey nuts are a favourite. The local crows know me and start to queue up when I'm working in the garden because I give them food.

what a fascinating thread! Good luck OP!

My dog did this too in our local woods during nesting season and we were marked by the crows. It was when she was a puppy and she is eleven now - the crows still remember and caw or crowd when they see us.

It is not just in the woods but also other local walking spots. My partner thinks I am mad saying that they remember and t us because I feed them.

The only way to limit is was to give the crows a small pile of treats at the start of walk to leave us alone. They eat this then disappear. If I don't then they crowd us and intimidate.

Peace offering, but leave the dog at home until they've forgiven you.

Good luck!

Great thread! The YouTube clip with the cat-crow name calling was funny.

Placemarking shamelessly for the update. Me and my DD go to our local duck pond/Park every Sunday. We get followed by the crows alot (in a friendly, curious way), but we take nuts to feed the squirrels which the crows get their share of, so now I'm wondering if we have crow friends?

Change your coat? Once I was walking through the woods, wearing my showerproof coat. The crows were following me, almost the entire route. It was creepy and scary as they were noisy and all staring at me. The next time I went, I switched back to my normal coat, I had no problems. A few weeks later I saw a lady feeding the crows, about a hundred all came to see her. She was wearing the exact same coat as my showerproof one, so with the hood up, we must have looked identical to them.

perhaps you should take meal worms?

OP did you bring any treats this morning?

OP did you bring any treats this morning?

Just reiterating what others have said. Crows (and all corvids) are very intelligent birds. They can recognise faces, and they have special calls that inform other crows about the specific threat (e.g. a call for a dog which makes them take evasive action of a dog-avoidant kind; a call for a bird of prey which makes them take bird-avoidant action). They also engage in inter-generational communication, passing information from parent to fledgling and so on.

As others have suggested, start to leave the crows treats. They love dried cat food.

My brother is a farmer. Farmers are not known for their compassion towards crows (although my father used to point out to me the scene of a mother crow teaching her young crow how to lift up turf to find insects and so on). He now has a friendly crow called Charlie. He calls out 'Charlie!' and the crow responds with three long 'caws', then comes down for his snack. Apparently, Charlie has indicated to others in the colony that my brother is 'safe' and they come for food as well.

I have a crow friend. He comes down to the car when I go to the drive thru.

Never had loads come - he must be lonely.

Also they love monkey nuts - OP have a pocketful and keep scattering them. 5 closely follow a woman and her dog all along the beach here every morning.

They remember, they’re so clever