Interesting Encounter in the Park...
Today I had a most interesting, albeit slightly disturbing, encounter in the park. It will be a long story, so get comfortable.
So I was sitting on the couch this afternoon, reading a book, when a huge murder of crows passed by behind the house. The noise was incredible. There were easily forty or fifty birds, possibly more. They were very obviously chasing something, by their cries.
I was curious. Whatever it was had passed by behind the house pretty fast, by the speed the birds went by. It probably wasn't a mammal, since there are a bunch of hedges and fences along the way. I went to the window and looked out. I could see the crows settling in the giant oak at the corner of the park, and begin dive-bombing the small tree/large bush beside it.
"Huh," says I to myself. "I wonder what they're after?"
I didn't have the best view, so I stood up on the loveseat to see if that could improve my line of sight. Nope. While there, however, I heard Jason's window open and close upstairs. So I headed up, and asked him if he could see what was going on.
"No, but they sure are loud," was the response I got.
So. Whatever it was they were chasing was probably a bird.... I've seen them chase eagles, and owls. Eagles don't go to ground in bushes... but owls do. I glanced out the window again. They were still there. Whatever it was was still in the bush.
Fine. I put on my shoes, and coat, and walked across the park, to take a look. I'd love to get a good look at an owl that close.
I walked up slowly, because, quite frankly, I don't need an already-ticked-off bird of prey (or whatever) deciding I was the last straw. The crows in the tree were shrieking even louder, but left off the dive-bombing when I came up closer. They watched me, and it was a little weird being the center of attention for a flock of birds that big. I looked into the bush as I came near, and saw a shadow move from one branch to another.
I bent over, and looked up at... another crow. It was huddled up into a corner, and it looked at me, and went perfectly still.
"Wow. I wonder what you did to piss them off," I said to it, and straightened up to look at the birds in the trees all around me. "You guys should be ashamed of yourselves," I said to them, and turned, and walked back across the park to go home.
And the crows all followed me.
Seriously.
They followed me back across the park, moving from tree to tree, to the top of the park fence, to the wires around my house. It was very unsettling. I'd butted into their business, and they weren't impressed, evidently.
I was expecting to get dive-bombed at any moment, but they never did. They just followed me, and watched me. Did they think I'd rescued the one in the bush? I was wearing a black sweater under my coat, so it's possible. Did they want me to go back and flush it out for them, so they could finish whatever it is they were doing? What HAD the poor crow in the bush done to deserve being attacked by the rest?
I'd heard about crows having Parliaments, where they 'judge' one of their own, and execute it. Did I stumble onto one?
I don't know. But I really hope the little guy in the bush got away when the vast majority of them followed me home. The murder broke up after I was inside for a bit, although one crow sat where he could watch me through the window for a while.
I wonder what will happen next? Will they remember? Am I in trouble?
It was very bizarre. If I hadn't had Jason to back me up on this, I'd think I'd had another weird dream. But this was real. And freaky.
So I was sitting on the couch this afternoon, reading a book, when a huge murder of crows passed by behind the house. The noise was incredible. There were easily forty or fifty birds, possibly more. They were very obviously chasing something, by their cries.
I was curious. Whatever it was had passed by behind the house pretty fast, by the speed the birds went by. It probably wasn't a mammal, since there are a bunch of hedges and fences along the way. I went to the window and looked out. I could see the crows settling in the giant oak at the corner of the park, and begin dive-bombing the small tree/large bush beside it.
"Huh," says I to myself. "I wonder what they're after?"
I didn't have the best view, so I stood up on the loveseat to see if that could improve my line of sight. Nope. While there, however, I heard Jason's window open and close upstairs. So I headed up, and asked him if he could see what was going on.
"No, but they sure are loud," was the response I got.
So. Whatever it was they were chasing was probably a bird.... I've seen them chase eagles, and owls. Eagles don't go to ground in bushes... but owls do. I glanced out the window again. They were still there. Whatever it was was still in the bush.
Fine. I put on my shoes, and coat, and walked across the park, to take a look. I'd love to get a good look at an owl that close.
I walked up slowly, because, quite frankly, I don't need an already-ticked-off bird of prey (or whatever) deciding I was the last straw. The crows in the tree were shrieking even louder, but left off the dive-bombing when I came up closer. They watched me, and it was a little weird being the center of attention for a flock of birds that big. I looked into the bush as I came near, and saw a shadow move from one branch to another.
I bent over, and looked up at... another crow. It was huddled up into a corner, and it looked at me, and went perfectly still.
"Wow. I wonder what you did to piss them off," I said to it, and straightened up to look at the birds in the trees all around me. "You guys should be ashamed of yourselves," I said to them, and turned, and walked back across the park to go home.
And the crows all followed me.
Seriously.
They followed me back across the park, moving from tree to tree, to the top of the park fence, to the wires around my house. It was very unsettling. I'd butted into their business, and they weren't impressed, evidently.
I was expecting to get dive-bombed at any moment, but they never did. They just followed me, and watched me. Did they think I'd rescued the one in the bush? I was wearing a black sweater under my coat, so it's possible. Did they want me to go back and flush it out for them, so they could finish whatever it is they were doing? What HAD the poor crow in the bush done to deserve being attacked by the rest?
I'd heard about crows having Parliaments, where they 'judge' one of their own, and execute it. Did I stumble onto one?
I don't know. But I really hope the little guy in the bush got away when the vast majority of them followed me home. The murder broke up after I was inside for a bit, although one crow sat where he could watch me through the window for a while.
I wonder what will happen next? Will they remember? Am I in trouble?
It was very bizarre. If I hadn't had Jason to back me up on this, I'd think I'd had another weird dream. But this was real. And freaky.