Heh, nothing more obnoxious than having a whole boatload of crows going mental in your yard at 0700 on a Sunday morning!
But is hard not to find them interesting...they are so different from other birds, it seems like they belong in a classification all their own.
I was walking into work a while back from my parked car, and there was a crow sitting on top of a light pole watching me intently, so when I saw him looking at me, I slowly altered my course so I could walk right under him. (I wasn’t worried about him crapping on me...that seems to be a seagull thing, those rats with wings...)
He eyed me with greater and greater intensity as I got closer.
As I passed under him, instead of shifting his feet and bringing himself around the way most animals would, he did a little stylish hop into the air, and without even seeming to move another muscle in his body except for the little quick extension of his feet that propelled him a few inches in the air, he did a neat little 180 so that he was facing the direction I was now positioned in, and just kept watching me.
There was something incredibly stylish and interesting about the way the crow did that.
Another time, though, as a co-worker was driving me into work, we passed the rows of parked cars, and I saw something flash between a couple of cars. He stopped the car and I got out and walked back...it was a red-tailed hawk, and it was standing on top of a crow with its talons firmly fixed in the breasts of the crow.
It was awful. The crow was actually screaming, and it sounded horrible as it quivered there, screaming.
The hawk had its wings kind of extended and drooped down, as if it was trying to hide the crow, and it just looked coldly at me. “Do not come between me and my prey.” it seemed to say. Didn’t look at all intimidated.
I felt bad for that crow, but...that crow probably munched on some little baby birds at some point. Cycle of life and all.
Hawk's are amazing predators... Sorry about the crow - - the crying would have gotten to me too. And like you I would have known it was part of life's cycle.
I have several bird stories... here's one: My backyard ends at a saltwater stream - beyond is mangrove. Several times a year poisonous snakes come into the yard while I'm out and the birds go nuts.
At first I thought they were just calling to each other - and that is a part of it - but they make a point of starting up the squawking if I step into an area with a snake. Even going as far a dive bombing the critter if I continue. I do put out water for the birds - and many are regulars. I've had a cardinal family for over 20 years. They winter here... Maybe they see me as member of the tribe. Or entertainment. Who knows - but I'm grateful for their protection.