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A crow picnic |
| Good afternoon, Family,
This spring has been the perfect season for birds. A large variety has been having a wonderful time in my little corner of Virginia, and so have I. The crows must be on vacation this week. This afternoon they have gathered for a picnic on my front lawn. Presently, there are a dozen or two of them just outside my office window. They seem to be finding delectable tidbits in the grass and in the mulch surrounding some of the trees, for they are very active. They appear to be fussing at each other and keep grabbing food from the mouths of whoever is closest. Their manners are deplorable! Each crow keeps hopping from one spot to the next and then back to see if he missed something. Some fan out from the group, then turn and move back toward the rest. They are rather like a bunch of small children who look around to see what someone else is playing with and then move in to snatch the toy away. A large Blue Jay flew in from somewhere and parked himself on the top wooden fence rail. He sat there for awhile just watching the crows peck around at the ground. The crows appeared oblivious to the Jay as they continued with their picnic. Suddenly, the Jay swooped down over a section of the crows, scattering them briefly. He returned to his post. The crows regrouped without seeming too disgruntled and then continued with their foraging. The Jay waited a few minutes, then again swooped down, scattering a different group of crows before returning to his post on the fence rail. And again the crows regrouped as if nothing more irritating than a slight breeze had disrupted their feasting. The Jay was getting miffed with his apparent inability to scare the crows, and he sat at his post awhile longer. I could almost hear him grinding his beak! He couldn't stand it any longer. Suddenly, he swooped down again, this time from a different angle. He flew low to the ground with his wings stretched way out as far and looked very much like an airplane only a few inches from the runway, just about to touch down. He herded every last crow off the front lawn with that maneuver before disappearing from my view. The show was over and, with nothing further to amuse me out on the lawn, I settled back to my typing lesson. Love to you all, Aunt Maureen |
