It's Tuesday morning, I'm home, it's time for a #CrowUpdate. Not much today, just a few pictures and comments, starting with Ms Crow doing... something? Actually, she was just about to take off after eating a peanut (and probably meet the kids who were hanging out on a roof nearby)
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Mini #CrowUpdate (no pics, sorry).
I got home this evening. I was on the phone. Suddenly, I hear some noise on the balcony. Strange, as I didn't leave peanuts. Sometimes Mom or Dad land on the ledge to check, but this time the noise was on the balcony (Mom and Dad won't go there if they know there isn't any food for them).
Well, you guessed it, it was Junior 1 (or was it Junior 2?) visiting the balcony. Not even scared of me when he spotted me through the window.
Mini #CrowUpdate (no pics). Hmm... When I leave peanuts on the balcony a bit too close to sunset, usually Ms Crow comes to double-check that I left some, but doesn't come eat them before dawn. This morning they were left uneaten. Before work, I gave some peanuts to Mr Crow who was hanging out in the park with one kid. She didn't magically show up to get her share. (second kid could be in a tree). I spotted an eagle in the sky and she didn't chase it. Where is Ms Crow? 
Mini #CrowUpdate (no pics, sorry) when I got home tonight, Mr and Ms Crow were there and begged for peanuts. Junior 1 and 2 were around. No sign of "poor little crow," though, which is not a good sign. 
(the neighbor that has been feeding the crows, showed up when I was in the park and made a U-turn, only to return as I was leaving - it's okay lady, I know what you're doing, and you probably know what I'm doing, maybe we should actually team up?)
#CrowUpdate This morning, the fledgling that's always on the ground was... on the ground. I'm starting to worry about it. It seems healthy, but its parents don't seem to care much about it. Does it need just more time to develop (but I'd assume mom and dad would watch carefully) or... I have a sadder theory...
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#CrowUpdate I got to spend quite some time in the park this evening. The kids were being adventurous, mostly practicing their flying skills from one tree to the other. When I gave peanuts to dad, one followed him to see what was going on. It was quite fun. And I need them to see me giving treats to their parents so that they feel more comfortable around me.
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#CrowUpdate (make sure to follow the thread, it's a big one) (no big thing happened, just a bunch of small ones, but all in the span of an hour or so)
It started with me returning from work and seeing this from my car!
First, I noticed a crow flying (it's one of the crows-by-the-sea) then a black kite on a pole. Then the crow landed right next to the kite, maybe 10-20 cm from it, both within reach of the other's beak.
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Late afternoon #CrowUpdate Just saw the three fledglings on top of trees and cables at the same time. They can all sort of fly, even the one that was constantly on the ground.
I haven't seen dad all day though (but I was away large chunks of the day)
Mini #CrowUpdate I just saw one kid on the neighbor's roof. In a couple of days, they'll be flying everywhere.
#CrowUpdate As I mentioned earlier I was not really sure of the fledgling situation. Well, now I am. I could only see one since Thursday because only one is on the ground. The two others can sort of fly already and are hiding in the trees. I spotted them finally. Now, I'm wondering if the one on the ground is fine. It seems healthy, but it'd better learn how to fly soon.
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#CrowUpdate Sorry no picture. This morning the injured (?) baby was still alive, but instead of being in a corner, he was much more in the middle of the playground, and its wings were spread out. I didn't have time to approach it. When I returned home tonight, it was gone. I assume it's dead and either a human grabbed it, or a cat.
I tried to spot the other babies.
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And I think mom and dad started to "coral" them to where they were going to sleep. I saw one of them flying a little bit (but not high at all). I did see two fledglings at the same time for sure, I may or may not have seen the third one (but it could be one of the other two).
We'll see tomorrow. Let's keep our fingers crossed for that first night out of the nest.
(to be continued) 10/10
#CrowUpdate When I returned home this evening, the nest was empty! So, I knew what to do: go spend longer than usual in the park and "hunt down" the babies.
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So I started observing them (especially because I thought I spotted one that was actually outside of the nest) and suddenly.... I couldn't believe my eyes. As I suspected, there aren't three babies but four!!! Four babies. This is insane! (especially because Mr and Ms Crow only had one baby each of the last two years)
I still have a hard time believing it. (they're going to cost me a fortune in peanuts)
I circled their heads in the second picture:
#CrowUpdate (read the whole thing, it's a good one) As I posted this morning, the babies seem ready to leave the nest, and indeed when I returned this evening, there was a lot of activity around the nest (mom and dad were perched on the other side of the park at that moment).
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#CrowUpdate I just woke up. I hear some small caws in the nest tree. I know what it means. Babies are leaving the nest! They're only on the branches next to the nest, mind you (crow fledglings leave the nest before they can fly! This is insane but that's the way it is)!
Sadly I was not home yesterday and won't be for most of the day today (but unlike yesterday, I'll be home before dusk, and I'll try to snatch a picture or two before leaving this morning)
#CrowUpdate Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to the world: Baby 1 and Baby 2! And, wait for it... there is actually a third baby!!! (of course, it decided to hide while I went to get my DSLR). And there is a non-zero chance that there is a fourth one (I saw something moving from a different angle, but it could be one of them that moved). No wonder why mom and dad have been constantly begging for peanuts for the past two weeks (especially with Dad who can't fly much)
#CrowUpdate I finally got a good view (but not a good picture, sorry - I'll take my DSLR next time) of one of the babies!!!
It was hanging out on the nest (top) while mom (left) was arranging something. I think it's still missing a few feathers before it can leave the nest.
We probably need to wait for a few more days.
I got a glimpse of baby #2 too. I'm still not sure if there is a third one. Sometimes it seems that there is, some other times not.
#CrowUpdate I finally saw the babies! Yes, plural! It's not really a surprise seeing how mom and dad are constantly begging for food when I'm home, but they rarely eat it, just grab it and go hide it in their not so secret stashes. They're still in the nest, but they're getting so big that they're finally "sticking out." It's a bit difficult to see on the pic, but there is a head (red circle) and a tail (blue circle). So, there are at least two. At least.
Mini #CrowUpdate (no pics sorry). The babies will come out soon. I still don't see them, but I can now hear them when a parent comes to feed them (it sounds like there are more than one).
Ms Crow is spending much less time in the nest and she's more and more on watch. I saw her chasing three eagles today.
As I suspected, Mr Crow has lost at least one more big feather and, while he still can fly, it seems to be only for quite short distances.
