A Gerard post, authored by ghostsniper: by Vanderleun on July 28, 2017
lifted from the comments: “Jeez, has it been 8 years already?“

This year the crows are back, after having been gone for the past 2 years. I’m talking about the BIG ones. Maybe 16-18″ tall, walk around with their arms behind their backs (not unlike Groucho Marx) like they are assessing everything. And talkin’ that shit. Loudly. VERY loudly. Easily the loudest birds in the forest, drowning out even the pileateds.

They are alert, watching each other’s backs, and they will see you before you see them. They keep their distance from you, at least 50 feet or more. Get closer than that and they take flight. Fraidy cats.

Crows is curious creatures, maybe an indication of higher intelligence. Oops. Did I just infer they could be human? OMG, you know what that means!

All black. Body. Beak. Legs. Eyes. Black to the core. And picky assed eaters. The other birds anxiously eat from the smorgasbord that is delivered daily but the crows are better’n that, so they think. I’ve seen a crow pick up a sunflower seed and throw it back down in disgust then run it’s yap for a bit then come back and pick it up again and head of to a high limb somewhere to enjoy that tasty snack.

6am to 8am is their staying connected time around here. Fortunately we are early risers so we are not unduly bothered by their group tirades. I find them humorous and enjoy watching them from afar. If I stay perfectly still on the porch they get closer for better viewing and they are magnificent creatures.

They have a purpose.

The crows do the jobs others don’t want to do. If a squirrel gets splattered on the road the crows are right there disposing of it. Nice. Then I don’t have to shovel scoop it up and dig a hole. They peck at it til it’s skin and bones, then the rest just magically disappears. Do they carry it into the woods? I’ve never seen a squirrel carcass in the woods. Do the crows eat the fur and bones? Don’t know.

As I said, the crows are the BIG variety. If they had a mind to, I imagine a group of 10 or more could most certainly take out a grown person. The beaks and claws look quite diabolical. At a full speed low angle dive I believe a 2″ black chisel beak would leave a deep permanent scar and maybe a trip to the ER. 10 of them punctures in rapid succession and you may succumb.

Then in a bit they will have picked you clean. And maybe we’ll find out what happens to the carcasses…..