[CT Birds] Birds in dianger

[northernrail at comcast.net]

  Concerning birds in distress and/or in dangerous situations, this story, probably got me more involved into birding than anything else...
   When I was in high school I worked as a greenskeeper on an exclusive golf course. One early summer morning I was walking down the back roads of the course with a fellow worker when I noticed a crow in a tree that somehow didn't seem quite right. Just on a chance I started talking to the crow and he proceeded to talk back and gradually make his way down and eventually hopped on my arm. The kid I was working with thought I had some mystical power over animals. Long story short, the crow had just been released by someone who didn't want to deal with a full grown crow any more and figured the golf course was a good place to ditch it. I was still working so I couldn't do anything for the bird. After a couple of hours of watching the crow try to land on various golfers and get swatted at, I got off work early, got the bird and brought him home.
  After a week in a cage to familiarize the crow to the area, we let it roam free. We named it Cassius, (I am dating myself here, that was Mohammed Ali's name first and like Ali he was very expressive.) Within a few weeks he would say his name and come when called. He also was a major thief of anything shiny, and had built his nest up in the gutters of the house, where you could generally find anything of value that you were missing. A favorite game he would play with us was chasing some shiny toy on a string, sort of like a kitten does, and when the string was retrieved, he would hop up on your lap, lay on his back,(very un-birdlike),  and wait until you stroked his  breast then fall  asleep upside down, feet straight up and head flopped off to the side,
   Every morning he would make "breakfast" rounds to all the neighbors who knew him and would leave treats out for him, If you were late he would peck on the door till you showed up with the treat..
Unfortunately he also was an excellent "watchdog" for the kids in the neighborhood. Late that fall, he disapeared, we heard that an agressive crow had been shot attacking someone, in someone's backyard.-it was Cassius probably just trying to play.
  To this day, crows are my favorite birds. I love watching their interactions and social activities. The fact that the "aunts and uncles" may stick around to help raise the next generation, I think is pretty cool. I also learned that trying to make a pet out of something wild usually does not end up well.
John Ogren