Month: July 2026

The first crow came early and alone as usual. The second joined after a couple of hours, landing on a separate branch.

They started muttering to each other, not the loud caws they use for calls, but the low, chicken-like “bwaks” they use to exchange information.

They talked for a long time and finally the second joined the first on its branch.

After I went up to the house, and watched from the driveway. They both flew down to the food, but the first one didn’t eat. It just stood lookout for the second.

It started joking around, jumping toward the other, startling it, backing off and then jumping forward suddenly again.

After the second finished, it joined the game and they spent a couple minutes jumping at and startling each other before flying away.

A couple days ago, after the second crow arrived and their coos and grooming finished, something changed.

I was inside and missed what happened, but when I came out the crows were on different branches.

Not sitting together, not muttering to each other. Separate and silent. Like they’d had an argument. They stayed that way the rest of the evening until I went up to the house.

The new day, the first crow arrived as usual and waited on the branch. It waited a long time, periodically calling for its mate who didn’t reply.

Finally it started searching and evidently found the other in a tree somewhere behind the garage where I couldn’t see.

There was a horrible exchange. The first would bark a single, angry “Caw” and the second would scream it back, like trading punches. Back and forth for at least 5 minutes. Then they went silent.

They never reappeared at the tree and I eventually went inside for the night.

Tonight they showed up at the tree again, sitting on different branches with their backs to each other, like in the photo.

I put food out before I went home.

Every day, around the same time, one crow lands on a branch and waits for me to feed it.

If I’m working and don’t notice, it goes, “Caw!”

It’s less afraid. Flies down sooner after I put the food out. Lets me watch it eat and drink, as long as I stay still and don’t talk.

The other crow doesn’t arrive until later, just before dark. When it does, the first crow is overjoyed. They burble and coo, nuzzle necks, and lean on each other like a couple of teenagers.

If it’s getting late and the second crow hasn’t come, the first will caw and listen for a reply. If there’s none, it waits a while and tries again. Eventually from some distant tree the reply comes, then a few moments later, so does the second crow.

Sometimes the first crow will get no reply for a long time. Its calls get more frequent. Eventually it will fly away, calling and searching.

Later they’ll both show up at the tree by my shop again and I’ll put more food out  that the second will only eat once I’ve walked back to the house.

I started feeding the crows cat food.

In the late afternoon, one crow lands on a branch near my workshop and stares intently until I notice it. Then I take a handful of kibble and put it in the driveway.

After a couple minutes, it flies down and eats very cautiously, ready to fly at the slightest sign of danger.

The other crow will not come down.

They are extremely afraid of me. If I wave or say hello, they fly away.

Being a rural area, a lot of people grow food and shoot guns. I wonder if they shoot crows?

Weeks pass, I put food out every day. One crow will fly down and eat, the other will not.

There’s a bird bath nearby and after it eats, the crow hops happily over and drinks. It’s dainty like a cat, wipes its beak clean in the grass. Carefully, both sides.

Since the other will not fly down from the tree while I’m there, when I finish for the day, I put another handful of kibble out, close up shop and walk up to the house.

Once it sees me arrive at the house, the second crow flies down and finishes the kibble.