We fed the crows

I try to go walking every day, but filled with a sense of ennui - I was dissatisfied with visiting our usual haunts. The ViL suggested Wimbledon Common, which we haven't been to in over a year and even packed a picnic.

Given that he'd brought a big loaf of Italian bread for our repast, we had quite a bit left over. The perfect opportunity to feed the ducks. So we headed for the pond. On our way, we noticed some crows. Turns out they were little beggars. We sat on a park bench and tossed out chunks of bread. They were viciously competitive, squabbling and squawking, black feathers flying. And the noise only attracted more crows, more noise, more crows. But as much as they wanted the bread, they were cautious things, too. If we threw the bread too close to our feet, they would tilt their heads to eye us up suspiciously before only the bravest would quickly snatch up the crumb. If we threw it even closer, they passed on it and moved a few steps further away. (They hadn't forgot - and as soon as we left, there was a big fight for a teasing bread)

It was fun feeding the crows, but admittedly a little weird, being surrounded by all those black carrion creatures. So we headed on down to the pond. The crows followed. Apparently they're used to fighting the ducks for the bread - and the crows even have a cool trick of catching the bread mid-air as you toss the bread slow and underhand to the ducks.



A previously spotted crow.