Crows

During a telephone conversation with my son who lives in Seattle, I was intrigued by his telling of a radio programme about crows, and also an amazing sight his friend Rich witnessed showing the caring nature of squirrels.

First to the squirrels: Rich was walking along the road when he saw two crows fly down into the middle of the road. They were cawing and bobbing up and down. As Rich drew closer he noticed an injured small squirrel lying between them. It was a young squirrel, probably hit by a car. It was still alive, but unable to run away. The crows pecked at the squirrel as if testing whether it had yet expired. As Rich drew level with the scene, an adult squirrel shot out of the undergrowth, across the pavement and out to the middle of the road. It picked up the injured squirrel in its mouth, dashed back carrying it across the road, climbed up a tree with the injured squirrel still in its mouth until the two disappeared into the leaves. Whether or not the injured squirrel lived, we will never know, but to witness such an act is a precious thing. My belief is that the injured squirrel was a youngster and the rescuing squirrel its brave and strong parent rescuing it from an awful fate with the hungry crows. My son, however, says if hungry enough, squirrels will eat their own, but I prefer my compassionate explanation.

The radio programme about crows told how it had been discovered that crows are much more intelligent than previously thought, able to recognize human faces and tell them apart. Apparently crows have good memories and remember those who harass or upset them. When they see such a person they will set up an insistent cawing to warn others. (The researchers donned Dick Cheney masks before disturbing the crows – quite an appropriate mask I thought.)