Feeding Crow.

Things that Crow used to eat. Day old chicks, mice and young rats. Mealworms (only live ones mind you), crickets, fresh offal, the more gory the better.
Things that Crow eats now. Roast chicken, especially the crispy, seasoned skin if he can pinch it. Tuna casserole. Pasta with mince and cheese. Liver and bacon. Cheese and ham sandwiches. He also likes fresh tomato, brambles and elderberries. And dog treats, especially if Dog is watching.
Yesterday I put some raw, chopped, lamb’s liver into his dish. Crow looked at it and ignored it. Three hours later I took it out, cooked it with a little garlic and tomato sauce, with a side portion of baked potato; and he scoffed it down.
If I put dog food into his dish he will turn his beak up at it. If there is dog food in Dog’s dish and Young Dog is eating it, it becomes instantly desirable and Crow will sidle up to Young Dog who eats and growls at the same time in the vain hope of scaring Crow away. After a pretence at begging from Young Dog, Crow will hop onto the dish and grab a morsel before running away and either eating it straight away or caching it for later. Young Dog loves looking for these caching sites and emptying them, so it evens out in the end.
Interestingly Crow wouldn’t dream of trying the same trick with Old Dog who, when he growls, “Bugger off!” at Crow, really means it.
This wild creature, Crow; Master of the Skies, Freedom Personified and all that; could not cope with the weather last night. The wind was battering the house, shrieking and howling and Crow started to call for me in his baby voice until I went downstairs and sat and comforted him.
Today the wind has dropped, but he still wanted to sit with me, or on my knee to be more precise; holding onto my finger with his beak which is his version of cuddling up. My Beloved still hopes that Crow will return to his corvid family, though surely he knows in his heart that we are Crow’s family now.

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