# Tame Black Cap Chickadees at work. Soon they will fly through hoops.



## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2007)

We have a gang of black caps at our work that are like pets,almost,we have been feeding these birds for years. Feeding them kills the half hour we have to wait to punch out! we feed them through out the winter to.[/align] [/align] [/align] [/align]


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2007)

Me with  (slick)  he looks plain next to the rest so we named him slick haha


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2007)

This is OPey he likes open pontils  [8D]  thats a Hooflands German bitters we found


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2007)

These guys are pigs! [8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2007)

pauly my digging buddy and co worker with  Eagle.

 When thay do tricks I will send pix [8D]


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 21, 2007)

I'm impressed. How many years did this take? When I get up in the AM I'm probably gonna find Paula trying this. Thanks for the pics it's the little things that are so cool. I'll bet others here have some neat stuff too that we can see.


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2007)

HI osia. Well it really didn't take years from them to land on our hands, we fed them for 10 years, after work at the picnic table a few of us sit at. But it only took a few days for them to start trusting us and landing on us. If we don't put any food any where else they come right to us. Its fun and they are so cute when they are that close, sometime I think they are talking to us. Its weird how trusting these little guys can really get. 

 I guess  this is a normal  occurrence to a lot of people because your the only one who thinks its  different  for wild birds to fly out of the sky and land on a humans hand haha!  no matter how many times we see it its still a trip.Rick


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## logueb (Sep 22, 2007)

Great story and pics Rick, Just shows what a little patience and trust can do. Wifey has a finch feeder and regulars who feed there.  I wonder if they would still feed with me sitting nearby. Ireally liked this post.


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2007)

Thanks Buster yea I think the finches will come close,thay have the same friendliness as the black caps although the black caps are extra trusting. If you sit there every day and get closer and closer thay will come (if you bring good food they will come!!) that's from movie aint it?  hahah


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## Jim (Sep 22, 2007)

Very cool, Rick! I'll have to try that with my black-caps that frequent my feeders. I have house sparrows that hang out right outside the front door. They won't fly unless you get really close, a little food would probably go a long way towards earning their trust. It might also work with house finches. 

 I stuck some big pieces of broken local stoneware in the ground under the feeder for the birds. I didn't know if they would use them at first, but they love them. I'll have to try something with bottles in my bird feeder garden. ~Jim


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2007)

Yea they make that half hour we wait to punch out go quick []  Hey Jim any pits goin? Mabey ill give you a ring tomorrow night. Rick


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## Jim (Sep 22, 2007)

We started something today. It probed like a pit, and is located right off an old sidewalk. We got a test hole down to about 2 feet. It's a mix of hard clay, ash and OLD glass/stoneware pieces. We're also finding a good many square nails, but no stone or brick liner yet. It's either down deeper, or it's a barrel liner, or it's just a small ash pit. We'll see tomorrow! I did find one little damaged 1860s bottle, so that was encouraging. ~Jim


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 22, 2007)

We had a California Acorn Woodpecker that would fly over and wait for me to toss a peanut into the air so he could catch it. If I wasn't payin' attention to him he would land on my head. Wild birds are really characters.


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2007)

*Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

I used to have 2 pet crows, I found them on the ground in a park, they fell from a nest. If I didn't take them dogs would have got them. They where NUTZ   Ozzy & Joe where there names. Hey we know a Joe, will the real Joe The crow please stand up hahaha! I raised them and let them go, they stayed around for a long time. sometime they would fly down to me when I got home from work, all I had to do was sing Fairies wear boots by Ozzy Ozborn hahaha and and they would fly in.thay liked that song I guess.[/align] [/align]They never came back one day, I guess they found mates or what ever and where gone, It was cool while it lasted, I was going to buy some African crows once 800 bucks apiece, I never did. I still may one day, they are fun birds the smartest of all birds except for the raven. I have some pix of them, and the crazy stuff they do. Rick[/align] [/align]Me holding Ozzy & Joe sunning him self on my leg[/align] [/align]


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2007)

Thats cool landing on your head!  hope he didint peck it hahah


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Thats both of them in my basment. I raised them there. & Joe with a dog bone [8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Ozzy taking a bath[]


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## capsoda (Sep 23, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Very cool. I would have never guessed you were a bird lover. Never had a crow but had a pet Magpie in Colorado. Did have an assortment of wild birds for pets when I was  kid. English Sparrows, Cedar waxwings and a few Blue Jays. Alot of kid kept Bluejays when I was a kid. I have a bud that has a pair he keeps in his living room. Bluejays and Sparrows can sure be charictures but I think Joey the talking Magpie had them beat. Joey was all he could say clearly but he tried really hard to say other things.


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 23, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Yea as a kids my brothers and I all ways had wild animals for pets you name it we had it. We raised 3 cardinals from babies to full grown birds,thay where really tame had them for years until one day the cat got in and that was that.[/align] [/align]There where some kids in the neighborhood who would kill baby birds, knock the nests down and we would save them take them home and raise them. Those kids where my friends, thay grew up half normal  hahaha[/align] [/align]Why wouldn't you have never thought I was a bird lover? Oh my weird demeaniner  hahaha  got ya.[8D][/align]


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## towhead (Sep 24, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Hey Rick....don't forget to give your chickadees some water.  I put out a large plate with a small edge.  It is cool to watch them drink.  THEY LOVE IT!  Now I just hafta' figure out what to do about the water when it is 20 below.....


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 24, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Hey Julie..Where we work there is a big lake a stones throw from us,and we are only back at the (bird table) for 45 min.But thats a good idea,I may put a bowl of water out to see what happens.Rick


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## Jim (Sep 24, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Very cool, Rick! I have done two baby bird rescues, one was successful and one wasn't. We had a baby starling that fell from the nest. He was here for two days, fortunately mama came back for him. His eyes were open and he ate readily, so that was an easy one.

 We also had a house sparrow for three days, but he was messed up pretty bad from falling onto hard concrete. He ate good, but never seemed quite right. After 3 days, he took a turn for the worse and finally succumbed to his injuries []. I've also picked up a few sparrows that knocked themselves out by flying into the porch posts out back, but they just shake it off and fly away in a few minutes. ~Jim


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## JOETHECROW (Sep 24, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Hey all,...cool topic,.Rick, My friends dad can get the chickadee's to hand feed,... but I haven't mastered it yet,....and thanks for posting the cool picks of your crows,....Did I mention that my friend from years ago had one (a pet wild crow) He named it 'peckerhead' and it could speak a few words of english. Then one night it met the housecats.....Anyhow keep the great bottle pics and stories coming...                                                          Adios'    Joe


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 24, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Those sparrows wernt polish where they? I mean I can see flying in to windows but posts? hey wait IM polish lol 

 Hey that name sounds familiar Housesparrow  lol


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 24, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Cool name peckerhead  hahaha


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## Jim (Sep 25, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Yeah, they flew right into the porch posts. I've had two or three of them do it. At first I thought they were dead, but they were just momentarily dazed. They don't bother with the kitchen window much, but I had one that did. I left the feeders run empty one day, and there was a male house finch (red & brown finch) literally hovering in front of the kitchen window. He pecked the glass a few times with his beak, staring right at me with the most p*ssed-off look I have ever seen on a bird! It was kind of weird, but I should have had the feeders filled. ~Jim


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 25, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Yea I feel bad when the feeder isnt filled,even though thay wont starve to death.once you start you should keep feeding them. Rick


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## towhead (Sep 25, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Couple years ago I had a crow that would peck on the window every morning at 7AM....wasnt even feeding any birds back then....poor thing would peck so hard he would bleed....I wondered if maybe s/he had West Nile Virus....or did s/he think it's reflection was something....


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

The crow may have been fighting with his reflection. Male cardinals will do that, and they get vicious. You think they would realize after a few hard hits that they can't win a fight with a mirror, but they keep at it for a while. ~Jim


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## shell4byz (Sep 27, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Great pics, 
 Now I can show my children that it can be done!!!
 My brother and I used to have chickadees and nuthatches land on our hands  and my four boys don't believe that it could be done.  They also have no patience or attention spands either.  My brother even would have a nuthatch just sit on his hat when he would walk to the bus stop.  We also had a feeder attached to the window where we would stick our hands out with seed over the feeder and they would land on our hands and we would slowly bring our hands inside.  Only had one or two in the house to my mom's dismay.
 Thanks for the proof!!!


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## towhead (Sep 27, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Thanks for the info Jim!  Have had plenty of crows around, but he's the only one who ever did that!  Crazy bird....or would that be Cuckoo....


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## jane8851 (Sep 30, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Great thread! I always felt we "bottle hunters" had a special curiousity about nature too. I'm a Wildlife Rehabilitator and have raised all sorts of creatures. Here's a photo of my favorite baby animal. See if you can guess what he is. No. he's not a mouse or rat.


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## jane8851 (Sep 30, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Here's a closer shot of the little guy in my hand. Nope, he's not a rabbit either. His kind are very common in the Northeast.


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## jane8851 (Sep 30, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Not a raccoon either.


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## Jim (Sep 30, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Just a guess...But I'm going to say he might be a squirrel. ~Jim


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## jane8851 (Sep 30, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Not a squirrel or a chipmunk. Think a little bigger.


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## marjorie040 (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

I would have thought squirrel...my cat brought home something like that one day......so what IS the critter?


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## jane8851 (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

It's a baby opossum! 

 People bring them to me when the mom gets hit by a car, the babies wiggle out of the pouch looking for warmth and food. Babies this small have a fused jaw that attaches to the mom to nurse so I had to feed him with a tiny paintbrush dipped in kitten replacement milk every 30 minutes. I had to carry him around in a small cotton sack (about the size of a large tea bag) tucked in my bra to keep him warm and to keep him with me to feed every 30 minutes. Good thing I didn't have a medical emergency, it would be hard to explain a possum in my underware. 

 Once he got big enough to open his mouth I used a very small bottle made for baby rabbits and didn't have to feed so often so I left him home in a heated cage.


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Jim is right thay do that. I fight with my reflection now  !@#$%^&*!@#$%^ damit gitin old![8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Wow! thats cool!  we raised many a baby animal as kids and over the years  coons,rabbits, birds, ducks etc but never a possum. Do you still have it?or did you set it free? Rick


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## diggerjeff (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

here is a picture of one of the coons i raised last year.


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## jane8851 (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

I always release the animals when they are able to survive on their own. They hang around for handouts for a while and then leave. 

 Be VERY careful with raccoons. They have a parasite called raccooon roundworm (baylisascaris procyonis) which is shed in their feces and is fatal to humans.


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

I had coons when I was a kid so if I had it I beat it [] I am still kickin.[]


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 1, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

COOL!  he looks like the one I used to have lol Rocky-Racoon.Thay are fun but some times thay get nasty. Rick


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## towhead (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Yes.  I feed the deer in the winter, the ducks, geese, and the birds all year-have picked a few up when they have hit the window and turned them right side up....and now I have a very small mangy (sp?) coyote hanging around.  Do you think it is OK to give him dog food?  Will anything make his fur grow back?


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## jane8851 (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

You can give him dog food but they are usually afraid of the bowl so just put it on the ground. Canned is better as the odor will tempt him to eat. Also the water content is good for hydration. He's probably mangy because he may really have mange, or is just shedding his coat.

 You can feed them cat food too. It has more protein than dog food.


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## jane8851 (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Just a side note, folks please be careful. Wild animals are wild and they carry all sorts of nasty parasites and diseases that can be fatal to humans and other pets. It's good to help the wild creatures that need it but please just be careful not to expose youself to anything. 

 When in doubt call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. They're trained to safely care for the animal, and the animal has the best chance of survival with them too.


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

I wouldn't feed Mr Wilie coyote he might bring his Buddy's back and you will have to feed them all[8D] and they may get nasty, but the deer are cool I feed the deer and take a lot of pix..Rick

 My dog likes corn to lol


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## jane8851 (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Wow! The dog and deer get along? We had an old dog that was butted in the ribs by a doe.


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## towhead (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Thanks for your input Jane and Rick!  Yeah, I read about the mange....the parasites....ewwww


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

My friend calls it (THE MANGE) to I laugh ...he acts like its the black plague or something hahaha  *THE BLACK PLAGUE! lol* I just call in     mange.[]


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Zoey just wakeing up, this pic made the channel 10 news puppy patrol.


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 3, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

A dogs life.


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## jane8851 (Oct 4, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Rick, is Zoey a German Shorthair? You've got a beautiful dog whatever it is! Here's my vicious beast, Abby the American Bulldog. She'll kiss you to death.

 Jane


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 4, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Yes she is,I got her at the pound shes a pure breed ahhhhh cute dog blue eyes too!  send your pet pix In  every one .

 This is Jethro & Chrisy Jethro is in dog heaven Chrisy is 13 years old.


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## Jim (Oct 4, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Here are two good reasons why ALL of my good bottles are protected within closed display cases []. Hobbit (1-year old Shih-Tzu) and Rocky (8-year old 20-pound house cat). This picture is a rare moment, they love to playfully atttack each other. Rocky should be an NFL linebacker the way he tackles Hobbit and takes him down. ~Jim


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 4, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Hahahaha wow!  20 pound cat!  I would hate to have that cat on my back lol  that dog looks mellow he wont knock over your bottles  []


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## Jim (Oct 4, 2007)

*RE: Here are some Crows I raised and set free*

Mellow?? [][] Both of these critters are nuts. I wish I had half of their energy, it would be really helpful for digging those deep pits! ~Jim


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