Wildlife

Wildlife Watch Roger that’s great news! We’re critically short on volunteers. It’s baby season… with endless wild orphans by Gretchen Lieff pouring in.” Gretchen is founder and president of the Lutah Maria Riggs Society and Davey’s Voice, both Santa Barbara 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Gretchen sits on the board of the California Water Impact Network and is vice “Sure I’ll have her call you.” Holy Moley… THIS was exciting! Polariis is a magnificent yacht docked president of the board of the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. at SB Harbor and her new captain is Sheryl Crow the young bright Atria St. Peter. She’s a sharp cookie and welcome addition to our overburdened Crow Club. And sure enough the following morning Atria entered the Center’s crow aviary where the baby crows went crazy as she moved with ease and confidence through the noisy flock. “I have a clan of crows living in my yard along Shoreline Park. They’re beachgoing and park going and they’re real mischievous. I feed them my dog’s leftovers… I just really like watching their antics. My favorite is named Averroes, after the philosopher. He has a feather that sticks out so I recWildlife Care Network’s crow aviary ognize him and he’s become my first (photo by Priscilla) crow friend. We hang out for morning coffee.” Atria moves around the cackling aviary dodging the flying babies and T hose of us who love crows do so because they’re good learnfilling bowls with fresh water; “I enjoy ers and problem solvers and utterly volunteering here so much… working delightful. They mate for life, live in with the animals is therapeutic. Even family units and are very conscienMiles Hartfeld and Gretchen Lieff (photo by Priscilla) some of the more mundane tasks like tious parents. The Crow Fan Club is I was a “Secret Garden” … “Green Mansions” kind of child. Deep forests, bright brooks, wide fields, and ocean waves beckoned my young exuberance. On the seldom occasions that an adult might be missing me, I would sweeping out the aviary or changing sheets… allow you to be outside of yourself. And it’s really nice to just a big and passionate one with more than 70 thousand members on the Facebook crow sites I checked out. be found deep in the forest, grabbing minnows and crayfish from a tiny creek lose yourself in helping the animals. In fact I have a new girlfriend who’s under the redwoods, or paddling under the waves of a Hawaiian North Shore It’s nice.” so crazy about crows she’s willing to beach… my bright yellow Easter dress in wet shambles as my parents shook My crow learning curve has been risk her marriage. their heads from the beach. pretty steep recently. Here in Santa

One of my favorite childhood stories was of an old woman, whose small Barbara County you are most likely backyard was home to a flock of friendly crows. The lonely lady would feed to find the good old American crow which is ubiquitous throughout the them and they soon became her family. The woman would place bright objects United States, Canada, and Mexico. Halfway through the 2020 wildlife baby on the table and watch as one particular crow delighted in throwing them up season it feels like most of those North American Crows are hanging out in the air… cawing and cackling at the descending sparkles. right here.

I envied that lady and vowed, one day, to have a pet crow of my own. My Montecito property was labeled “great crow habitat” and a natural “crow release site” and so I was delighted with the two crates of eight crows delivered ***Cut to adulthood*** to my backyard. Food and water was placed on the crow stand where the excited young birds gathered after settling in to their new home.

There are two distinct categories of people. Those who love crows and those For two weeks we kept the bowls filled with worms and doggie kibble and who hate them. watermelon… and for two weeks the young crows would fly in several times a

For those who find them despicable I must say, I don’t blame you. They are day for a drink and a nibble as they meandered farther and farther from their brash, aggressive, loud, messy AND they are bullies to other animals. release spot.

Those are the crow haters. Then we went away on a short vacation and the feeding stopped and upon

Those of us who love crows do so because they’re good learners and problem our return the crows were gone and we were sad to lose them but happy solvers and utterly delightful. The crow fan club is a big and passionate one. they were free. And then three evenings ago we looked up into the big In fact I have a new girlfriend who’s so crazy about crows she’s willing to risk spruce and saw that one of the youngsters had returned and she didn’t look her marriage. good. So we filled the bowls with food and water again and she came down

Amy is one of the dozens of volunteers who work at the SBWCN (Santa onto the table to feed. Her blue eyes were bright and cautious. We named Barbara Wildlife Care Network). Early in the baby season, in early May, her Sheryl Crow. Amy was assigned six adorable fluffy orphaned baby crows to take home The next morning we were shocked to find Sheryl out on the driveway lying and nurse. Operation Crow in Amy’s backyard was intense with play pens on her side. We put her into a box and rushed her to the Wildlife Center where and kiddie pools. From early morning till dark Amy was on call with mealy Avery our new brilliant wildlife vet diagnosed malnutrition, treated her with worms, scrambled eggs and dismembered frozen rats. The baby crows created subcutaneous IV electrolytes and a feeding tube full of liquid nutrition, and sent a racket… which was unappreciated by Amy’s husband… who soon drew the us home with special high protein bird food. For several days we fed Sheryl as line. she perched in her makeshift crow pen. And then it was time for her release. We

And while Amy’s domestic peace was being tested, the Wildlife Center put opened the door and she timidly came to the edge of the box and flew up into out a call for permanent backyard homes for the season’s record number of the big spruce … cackled… and was gone. orphaned baby crows to be released. One of the many to answer the call was The following day as I sat beneath the spruce... I thought about Sheryl Crow Montecito favorite Roger Chrisman. Earlier in the month Roger and Sarah had and where she might be and whether she was ok wherever she was out in this hosted the release of a magnificent Cooper’s Hawk on their Montecito property; big vast world. And then I recalled the tale of the old lady and her crow so many

“I hear you’ve got crows and you need help.” years ago. And here I was … The old lady and the crow.

Yes Commodore Roger. How did that happen?

“Well it so happens my new captain of the Polariis is crazy about crows. She’s And I wonder about the deep connection between people and animals. had a LOT of experience with them.” And I wonder at the magic of the universe. •MJ 2 – 9 July 2020 • The Voice of the Village • MONTECITO JOURNAL 45