So many shiny things 😍
Tango Steinke learned she had some noisy neighbors when she moved into her townhouse in Virginia. Doc and Dottie, a couple of crows she named, had built a nest just behind her house and claimed the territory around it.
Steinke made the greatest effort she could to become friends with the crow pair.
“They’d show up out of nowhere, and I’d toss peanuts at them,” Steinke told The Dodo. “I was already feeding the other birds and squirrels, so it only made sense to feed the crows.”
When winter hit, food became limited, and Doc and Dottie began to visit on a daily basis. “They wouldn’t approach me, but once I walked inside, they’d go eat the peanuts,” Steinke explained. “They got increasingly loud about their arrival throughout the course of that first month of regular visits.” On weekends, they’d caw at my bedroom window until I went up to feed them.”
The crow couple would occasionally invite their pals to the feast. Steinke also constructed a little perch for the crows on her third-story balcony.
@tangobird They couldn’t carry it all themselves #corvid #crow #crowtok #birdwatchinggoesbothways #bird #crowfriends #fyp #foryou #crowvid #crowtiktok ♬ original sound – Tango
“I went out to feed and spotted that and hurried for my camera because I wanted to share it with everyone,” Steinke explained. “They’ve left a button, acorns, bits of metal, a beat-up marble, ceramic shards, and soda tabs since then.”
“About once a month, I’ll find anything from them in the feeder,” she continued.
Doc and Dottie, on the other hand, didn’t only bring gifts. At feeding time last spring, a newcomer – a young crow — appeared. The three-person family has evolved into more than simply Steinke’s neighbors.
They’ve developed a friendship.
@tangobird I finally had to tell them #PUBGMOBILE #crows #corvid #birdwatchinggoesbothways #fyp #crowtiktok #newfriends #birds ♬ original sound – Tango
“It’s turned into more than just birds feasting in my yard,” Steinke explained. “In the mornings, they’ll accompany us to the bus stop, they’ll hang around at the playground, and, most importantly, they’ll phone 911 if one of my kids falls down.”
“I’m not sure if they’re just keeping an eye on them or if they don’t trust me to raise them,” she continued. “However, when we walk outside, they’re never far away.”
After two years, the crows have gained her trust and know she would help them if they ever needed it.