The Crows

Do you like Crows?

Those of you who regularly read my rambling blog may know I'm especially fond of Corvids, or Crows if you prefer the common term. Not everyone's cup of tea I grant you with their connection with witches and so on, but I love them. Years ago, and from nowhere a Carrion Crow befriended me. I used to open the door and it would hop in and sit on the table to be fed. Then one day it was gone. Crows are so intelligent and their social cohesion is remarkable. The garden in Dorset regularly gets Rooks and Jackdaws on the bird table, wonderful to watch.

Linked to this, last Sunday on Radio 4 (6.30am...yes I was up then) a lovely Living World programme about the large Rook roost in Norfolk. If anyone's interested, here's the link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/livingworld.shtml

So realising I know very little about their behaviour etc I've decided to do a spot of research. But where to begin? Well kindly a friend Brett Westwood suggested 3 books, all out of print, plus another one I'd already known about which has just been published. I ordered the out of print books last week on the old internet, 2 from America, and one from London, The Crows by Franklin Coombes, which arrived at work today. Tomorrow is a day off so that's my bedtime reading sorted. (Mind you I'm also reading Earth Memories by Llewellyn Powys, wonderful Dorset Essays, in a readable style - just smashing).

Are any of you interested in Crows? if so, here are the other three books Brett suggested and now on order; Can't wait.

Crows of the World - Derek Goodwin - out of print
Ravens in Winter - Bernd Heinrich - out of print
Crow Country - Mark Cocker - newly published in 2007