Crows are nesting in the Hessings’s cedar tree, which hangs way over into my front yard. I did not invite them and, frankly, do not want them here. They are predators. Okay, fine. They can’t help what they are. But because they are here, my finches are not. My finches, my house finches, who have nested in my Christmas wreath every spring since 1992, are not coming this year.
I love those little birds, the male with his orange head and throat. They build their nest together and take turns sitting on the eggs. I could stand in my laundry room and watch the whole thing, from selecting the nest site to the flying exit of the last baby. Last year all four eggs hatched, and how those babies squawked for food. I watched them learn to fly, even the runt. Then off they went, and I took down the wreath and washed the wall again. Some years I had two finch families. Too bad. That’s history.
And that’s not all. I have no robins in my yard, no quail, no sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, doves, junkoes, not even a magpie. And the goldfinches have deserted their feeder. It's the crows. I should be happy about this? I can’t. Also, I can’t do anything to change it. It’s against the law to kill the crows. I couldn’t kill them anyway, but I like to tell them I could. And I did think of calling my tree guy to come over and remove their nest. That’s against the law, too.
“The loud and frequent 'caw-caw' of this good-sized bird with shiny black plumage is quite familiar in southern
“The American Crow, in spite of its reputation as a predator, is useful to humans because it consumes large quantities of pestful insects. [We shall see. Is pestful a word?]
“The crow nests in trees where four to six eggs are laid after the breeding season. Immatures and adults often assemble in large flocks on their way to the southern wintering grounds. Many birds remain year-round in several parts of the country.” [Great.]
1 comment:
Maybe your finches are just late because it's been such a long and hard winter. We'll see.
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