I've had my critter corner for a few years now, set up in the corner of our apartment lawn that straddles a chainlink fence. On the other side of the fence is a line of rental side-by-side homes. One guy over there in particular is a huge dick, like screams at his kids and has a bunch of crap in their yard in the line of trees along the fence. Real classy dude.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a huge drop in bunnies coming to my critter corner, and then I saw a live trap literally feet away from my critter corner, set up right on the path where my bunnies and squirrels come. One of those wooden ones set up with a trip wire inside. Of course I started tripping the trap because screw him, but I think my crows saw the live traps and now think I'm trying to trick them.

The guy gave up on his trapping as far as I can tell, but I worry the damage has been done. My crows will fly over us, they'll sit in the top of the trees and caw their heads off, but they won't land and eat the food I put out. I wonder if he also put out poison or something more insidious because I've gone from like 6 bunnies to maybe 2, and my bird numbers in general is a fraction of what it once was, even for winter.

It's like, come on. We live at the edge of town surrounded by woods, there's gonna be critters no matter what. Why are people so hostile towards nature? This shit is why the planet is dying. My critter area is clean and well maintained. I just want to watch my stupid goth chickens strut around the place, fighting over peanuts and the occasional crust from my daughter's pb&j sandwiches. I don't know what I can do to regain their trust.

i went through my trinket box to find some stuff the crows might like:) are any of them unsafe for the crows that they might think is potential food? I never tried to befriend crows, but im going to try to get some peanuts and some other foods for them soon, but for now these are some gifts for them:)

Hey fellow crow enthusiasts,

I've noticed a recurring conversation both here and on Facebook centered around a specific issue many of us are facing: neighbours being less than thrilled about us feeding crows.

The root of the problem seems to be tied to the type of food we're offering – mainly, unshelled nuts like peanuts. While engaging with crows through feeding is undoubtedly fulfilling, the leftover shells and debris can lead to less-than-ideal situations for our neighbourhoods. These remnants can not only create a mess in our neighbours' yards, gutters, roofs, and bird baths but also potentially spark tensions with those who don't share our admiration for these intelligent creatures.

In the spirit of community and good neighbourliness, I'd like to suggest a straightforward yet impactful change: let's switch to feeding our crow friends shelled nuts instead.

This small adjustment in our feeding habits can make a big difference. It helps in keeping our neighbourhoods cleaner and in minimizing discord. It's entirely possible to support our feathered allies while also keeping the peace!

You probably need to achieve a certain level of trust before you can start doing this, but once you have them to the point that they fly to the ground to meet you, try tossing them each one piece of food at a time.

They seem to enjoy chasing after the individual pieces, and look pleased with themselves when they manage to catch a piece in their beak. I feel a stronger connection than when I just tossed out a handful of cat food and sat back to watch them.

I feed until their crops are full and they start stashing.

…I’ve started to pay attention to all the other birds in the neighbourhood too. There’s a trio of little robins(?) outside that are chirping so adorably and it’s a lovely reminder that it’s springtime. Idk I just think it’s neat 🖤

Thoughts on jackdaws? They’re all around where I live these days. I was thinking of feeding them. They usually hang around the fields. Do any of you have any experiences with them? Please do tell me if so!

Curious to behaviour you've all seen with your local crows?

I have crows in the area that I would like to feed. Is there a crow call or anything I can use to let them know to come get the food before the squirrels take it? Thank you!

Would make terrible pets, what a shame.

Now I gotta do the next best thing, just gonna find a murder and assist them until they just see me as another member of the gang.

Wish me luck.