Each day I see a family of crows perching in a decrepit Bigleaf Maple
along the shore of Fawn Lake in front of my house. There are four
crows, and I don't know their relationship to each other. But, as an
oh-so-sensitive-and-caring-middle-aged man, I appreciate the affection
they apparently display toward each other. Very often, two will perch
right next to each other (as in an inch or two away) and will groom
each other with their bills. Other times all four will line up
together on a branch. When a large group of perhaps 30 crows
temporarily comes by, the local family apparently retains its identity,
as I see them together soon after.

By the way, one of my favorite activities of late is feeding Stellar's
Jays with whole peanuts. I spread out the peanuts along the deck
railing and watch as the jays descend within seconds to begin picking
up the nuts. Each jay will pick up a peanut, set it down; then pick up
another and set it down ... and so on for roughly half a dozen whole
peanuts--until it finds the nut that feels just right. Then it flies
off. Of course, I'm providing a non-native food source that may cause
who-knows-what repercussions in the ecosystem--but it sure is fun to
watch!

Lee Rentz
Shelton, WA