Crow rescue by Crone!

So... I was heading to 'work' and on the way I saw a black shape on the edge of the road - on the tarmac. A crow! I thought it was dead but as I drove past I saw it was sitting: not flat, and with no wing outstretched. Just sitting.

When I got in, it turned out I needed to go out again to buy batteries. As I passed the crow I saw that it had turned around though it was still sitting on the ground. Its eyes were open and its head held up.

I got the batteries and asked in the shop for a cardboard box and returned, parking on the other side of the road. It took me a while to cross and I saw the crow buffeted by the passing traffic - not hit but it must have been just inches away from the wheels.

With the box, I crossed the road, picked up the unresisting but alive crow and put it in the box. It still wouldn't stand up. I didn't know what to do, so I called Mischa and I knew she would say that it was best to leave it where its parents could find it. She told me that the parents keep in contact and still feed the babies although they've come out of the nest. She said they are often not good at flying at this stage. As she was talking I spread out and felt the wings, which seemed fine - and the crow flapped them. Not very strong wing muscles at this stage, but they worked. Then I wondered if it had injured a foot or leg - but I couldn't see anything. On Mischa's advice, I decided I would put the crow back across a field gate near where I had found it but well away from the road. As I carried it back, it started kicking and it seemed the legs were operational - though when I put it down, it did just sink again. But I figured the bird was in shock. There seemed no evidence of trauma at all.

Then I had to drive away.

The crow was very hot - it had been sitting in the sun on tarmac. So silky and smooth to the touch. Its eyes were still a little blue and the beak seemed to still have the down turn at the base which is so evident in baby birds.

Back at the ranch we had a building project - interspersed with photographing the butterfly and a large (but dead) dragonfly!

The corpse of this broad-bodied chaser was found inside the Lodge. We thought it looked better on a waterlily!

And I should add that painted ladies migrate from Africa... on those tiny wings.... Incredible.

Strangely, when I went in to make some tea, there was a pigeon in the Ranger's Office. It was standing on a chair and seemed not to be bothered by my presence. I noticed it had rings on its legs. I called out, 'Michael, is it normal for there to be a pigeon in the office?'

He said it was not and came in - a racing pigeon! Michael picked it up and released it outside.

Further bird news: a spotted flycatcher is nesting in the shelter where anglers gut their fish. It has five eggs.

When I left, I saw a lot of crows above the place where I had left the juvenile. I parked up and checked - as I walked to the gate more crows rose from the wheat field.

Nothing where the young crow was - and no feathers! I hope it is safe and recovering from its near fatal ordeal.