A kind of telepathy....with a Crow

[Tobi]

Koori has gone.

A little while ago there was no sign of him, and I went out, made crow noises and called his name, and he did come for the morning treat but was absent the rest of the time.

Then I called him a couple of days ago and I am sure it was Koori who flew onto the electricity pole but no sooner had he landed than he took off again and left.

And since then he has gone.

I'm sure he has paired, has found no suitable nesting site right here and has gone to a more suitable place.....I know in which direction, but it's not obvious on my normal route. I haven't had time to explore properly yet but will go out taking a good look soon. It will be a high tree.
Of course Koori looks just like any other Crow.
The only way I'd know it's him is by the way he reacts to me.

It may be that I shall never know. But I sense he will remember me and may return some time. I have to leave it up to him.

[Catherine]

Maybe Koori has a nest already and can't leave it to visit you. If that is so you will see him/her as soon as the eggs  have hatched and the babies have left the nest.

I hope you see him again. It would be hard not to know.

[LPC]

He will visit after his babies have flown off, as Catherine has said. I'm pretty sure of that.

[Catherine]

I am sure he hasn't abandoned his friendship with you. I am happy he was able to find a mate.

[Tobi]

Yes I'm happy for him too. He is doing what he should be doing. He obviously hasn't forgotten me. He's not as much of a loner as I thought!  

Today I went for a circular 2 mile walk all around looking at possible places a nest could be built, in the direction in which he'd flown. Not a trace! I came upon a colony of Rooks which have been there for many years, across the hill in the same direction about a mile away.
When there I called him and made our noises, just in case he'd joined forces with the colony. But no response. And none of their voices sounded like his. In fact when I was there they all scattered. I know he wouldn't have done. I moved on quickly after scanning for a few minutes, as I didn't want to disturb them feeding their young.
And no sign of a 'live Crow's nest' anywhere else! I have neck ache now! LOL

[Catherine]

I wonder how far away his nest is...as the crow flies?

I guess he could put his nest a fair distance away and still visit regularly.

The fact that he isn't a loner makes your friendship  even more special. Koori is not actually lonely. He just likes you.

[Tobi]

An update to the Koori mini-blog!
He/(she?) is a parent. He/she has brought his little one to the electricity pole in the morning, and they now both caw at me while I am getting washed etc. Well....Koori caws to get my attention....and the young one just squawks staring Koori in the face then opening its beak wide as if to say "What the heck are we doing up here? I just want food!"

I can't even imagine what to call the little one. So far it's called "Koori Baby".

So now I am wondering if Koori is female....I don't know enough about which parent does the main childcare!

Now Koori is skittish about coming into the garden. I can see that the baby might become disoriented with high trees all around the lawn space.

So now I put the sandwich into the field every morning because that's where they are foraging each day. They don't seem to go far.....that field and the orchard.

I have a feeling the nest was some short distance away, and now the baby has fledged, they have returned to Koori's old hunting-ground.

They know I am their friend and am always a soft touch for a salmon paste sandwich as a morning treat.

I watch them through binoculars. Koori is in the process of teaching the little (scruffy-looking-one) to peck at the ground for food. Baby just squawks and hops about with its mouth wide open, but Koori pulls off a piece of sandwich, or pulls up a worm, then drops it on the ground in front of the little one. So far that is patient but unsuccessful work! The baby continues to squawk at Koori's face, and sometimes she relents and pushes the food into its mouth. Then they start all over again....
It is fascinating to watch.

[Catherine]

Congrats to Koori on her wonderful offspring. It may not look like much now, but I am sure it will be a fine looking crow soon enough. Koori really does trust you if she is bringing her baby to meet you... and to get a treat.

What a wonderful opportunity to watch a crow raise a baby. Not only do you have a crow friend, you have a crow niece or nephew.  I have no idea if the female crow raises the offspring. Probably she does. So Koori is probably female.

This is really exciting. How often does anyone get to be part of raising a baby bird. I hope everything goes well and the baby learns to eat.

[LPC]

Glad to read the developments, Tobi. Regarding which parent cares for the baby crows, it seems both mother and father pitch in:
http://animals.mom.me/crows-social-3576.html
(If you haven't seen it before).

[Tobi]

Thanks LPC. As usual, you came up with some good research! I didn't get chance last night.

But it's odd, because there is always just the two of them....no other Crow. So Koori seems like a single parent.....perhaps....unless I am getting them mixed up as I hate to say this but yes, they do all look the same! The only way I can definitely tell it is Koori is by the sound of the voice, the clicking noises made to me, the avourite perch on the electricity pole, and the willingness to come into the garden sometimes.