We all love having birds in the garden, but do they love being around us?
One local man thinks he might have an idea how they think.
In return for feeding a group of crows it appears they are bringing him gifts in return. Or are they?
Jim Kilroy keeps rescued animals on the East Mountain of Howth and lately a strange occurrence has been taking place.
“Hooded crows are robbing bright glass beads or white pebbles and dropping them around the land where we keep our animals,” Jim tells Northside People.
“At first, we were puzzled as to how these small bright white stones (pictured above) were appearing all over the land, each identical to the other.
“That was until we saw hooded crows drop the stones at our feet.
Some of the stones the crows have been dropping on East Mountain, Howth
“They pick up the stones from either the local graveyard or maybe from some ornamental garden in the locality and carry them in their beaks and drop them all over the East Mountain.”
Jim said the strange behaviour of the local crows started last year following the death of a horse.
“Big Man was a lovely old horse that we had rescued and sadly his time was up around this time last year,” Jim says.
“The day he died we started finding these stones, it made no sense.
“The hooded or grey crow, as with all the crow family, love picking up bright objects and bring them to adorn their territory.
“Magpies in particular, are known to “steal” jewellery to brighten their nests and to please a mate.
“Glistening bits of silver paper are eagerly sought as nest furniture.”
The intelligence of crows is as well known.
The brains of birds are extremely different to those of mammals, but crows seem to have some serious intelligence
Researchers have discovered that they can count, have complex vocalisations and are great at solving problems.
They have also been observed gathering around the corpse of a fallen comrade, but why they do this is still a mystery.
Jim Kilroy on East Mountain
“We can see them flutter over head with the white beads in their beaks and then drop the glistening pebbles at our feet,” Jim says.
“At first we thought it was that they were showing their gratitude because we had been feeding them, but it is more likely that it is to establish and define their territories.
“In a recent newspaper article, it was stated that crows were removing the same glass beads from graves at Mount Jerome cemetery.
“It was believed that the birds thought that they were stealing small white eggs with the intention of breaking them and eating the contents and abandoned them when this did not happen.
“Whatever the reason we have collected a few hundred such shiny pebbles which keep being dropped on the surrounding land.
“We are happy to return the “stolen goods” to their rightful owners.”