Subject: The Kindness Of Crows
From: Alex Kemp
Date: Tuesday, 10 March 2015 15:06:06 +0000
To: Oliver Kemp, Micaela Kemp, Liisa Kemp, Davin Kemp
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31604026 (the original story)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31795681 (reader’s responses)

Gabi Mann is an 8 year old girl that lives in Seattle, USA. Gabi has a love-affair with crows. She feeds them regularly and, in response, they bring her gifts:

Some of the gifts brought by Crows to Gabi Mann

It was a nice story by the BBC, and has caused a large response from readers in both the USA & England.

As just one response, here is Lynn Witte of the USA with Sheryl Crow, (originally a baby crow that was injured by a dog, adopted by Lynn & nursed back to health):

Lynn Witte with Sheryl Crow (Sheryl is the bird on the right)

All of the reader responses are of affairs between humans & crows, and of the gifts from crows in response to regular feeding. I think that my favourite comes from Gabi’s mother, Lisa:

Lisa lost the lens cap from her camera in a nearby alley whilst photographing a bald eagle as it circled over their neighbourhood. The crows leave all their gifts in the tray of their bird feeder, so Lisa immediately went to look and, sure enough, there was her lens cap. She has a bird-cam so checked, and saw a crow not just bringing the cap but even rinsing it first in the birdbath.

PS
Crows have a terrible name when in flocks (they are called a ‘murder of crows’).

Crows are almost impossible to tell apart from Rooks. A friend, colleague & house-mate of mine once gave me a marvellous saying to tell them apart:

A collection of crows are rooks. A rook on it’s own is a crow.
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Alex Kemp