since the past couple of days, crows in the neighbourhood have been super busy building nests in the trees on our compound. some have chosen sturdy old trees... but there is a crow couple that have chosen to start a nest towards the edges of very young branches.. it sways with the slightest of breeze... i worry what will happen when it gets very windy.. are the crows' instinct on track, and my motherly instinct rather misplaced??
these pictures and the clip are from this morning as the couple shuttled back and forth with twigs. looking hassled with beaks apart and brow feathers standing up!!!
i was intrigued because of the way the crows seemed to have 'modernised' their nest construction style... adapting with the material we humans have been using... metal at the foundations... i bet when they add the finishing touches for the eggs to rest on they will add, bits of plastic shreds too!!
now the rest of the story in the crows' own words...
kaa... kaaa...
this is the tree that we chose to build our nest on. the tall one in the centre.... our elders were suggesting that we should have chosen the nearby willow or the mulberry trees.. but we two decided we wanted to be different. you know, trendy?
building a nest in not a simple task... we have to scrounge around here and there.. and be on the guard not to let others encroach on our territory... we've been told by our elders to not just search from twigs.. but also wires, metallic or otherwise that the humans have produced... that we need to learn to piggyback on other's skills... so i am on the lookout for 'improved technology' items...
... like this piece of aluminium wiring...
.. or even better this insulated wiring.. even more comfortable and pliable... but wait a second.. this seems to be what these humans are using to watch television...oops!
.. the fact that we are building at the edge of the branch means that it is trickier to build, for we don't have the strong trunk beneath us to support our nest... why are we building here?this for us us is what 'penthouse apartment' is for humans! a lot of the twigs we take up, end up back down here, so i take them back again...
.. sometimes we even try to take bits of vine ... we design as we build...
taking the twigs up to the nest is not easy at all... this is the first camp.. above the shed.. this is where i take off from. i would have loved to take the large twig below my claws, but it was too unwieldy and i couldn't flap my wings hard enough to lieft off.. so had to let it go!
from camp one it's a direct flight upwards
.. camp two or three, depending upon which direction i fly in from are the branches that lead to our nesting site...
.. from there it is a hop skip and jump to the nest...
.. see our foundation? wires and metal strips along with thick twigs...
once inside it is a matter of arranging and weaving the twigs in and out .. just have to ensure the continuity with the foundation, so that the strong gusts don't topple the whole structure... has to be strong to hold our eggs..
... and this is how our growing home looks from the bottom...
... and a close up from the bottom to show you how hard the two of us have been working to gather all these twine and twigs... and yes.. that's me
keep tuning in... this blogger will keep you updated, i bet! and wish us luck! : ) kaaa kaaaa!
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