Squirrel Enforces Her Reign Of Terror At The Bird Feeder

When Dr. Kristy Hiltz puts peanuts out each morning, her intention is to help the crows that come once a day to get a little treat. She loves all the birds and has no problem with the blue jays having their share. She's also delighted to see the odd red bellied woodpecker. But it is the crows that have captured her heart. It all started in 2011 when a nest of baby crows fell from a tree a few doors down and the parents did not return when the nest was replaced in the tree. It was obvious that they were orphaned and would not survive if somebody didn't help. The crows were brought to Kristy, a veterinarian at the Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital, because she was known to treat any animal that needed help, even the wild ones.Show more

Kristy and her family raised the crows and they were the most wonderful companions. They slowly became more independent over the summer. They flew away each evening to roost in the trees and returned each morning, squawking for their breakfast. Incredibly, they even learned to say "hello" in a voice that resembled a parrot. They come back each spring and will occasionally greet Kristy and her family with a "hello". They have joined a family of wild crows and will no longer take food from Kristy's hand, but she loves to see them in the trees near the feeder, and it still melts her heart when they call to her, showing that they still remember that summer.

Kristy puts peanuts out every day, but the black squirrels don't seem to understand that it is a bird feeder, not a squirrel feeder. This particular black squirrel seems to have taken on the role of enforcer at the feeder and he chases the other squirrels and even the crows away. The crows are smart though and they wait patiently on a nearby branch until he leaves with a load. Then they swoop in, pick up three peanuts and fly off to stash them in a safe spot.

Kristy was surprised to learn that the crows will occasionally even say "hello" to the squirrels now.