It was very hot, as it is in October every year. My wife felt that the birds visiting our terrace garden would be quite thirsty. So she decided to put out a water bowl for them. She put a plastic bowl out there for them, and filled with clean water. The crows liked the idea, and kept coming to drink from it. It seemed like a worthwhile exercise. But the water bowl disappeared on the second day.
"It might have fallen down" she said, and put out another one. It disappeared the next day.
"The crows must be fighting over the water and displacing the bowl, so that it falls down" she said. I had never seen crows fight over water. But it was prudent not to dispute the idea. She put out a third bowl. The water level went down and she filled it again in the afternoon. The bowl had disappeared by the evening.
"Let us tie it with a string" I said, "so that it will not fall down. That is what they do at public drinking water fountains, so that people do not steal the water glasses."
She liked the idea. She gave me another bowl. I made a hole near the upper edge of the bowl and tied it to the grill with a strong string. I tied three surgical knots so that the crows would not be able to slip the knot and steal the bowl. Now the bowl remained, and water got drunk too.
The next day I was standing admiring the greenery in the terrace garden and also the trees by the side of the road that passes by our home. If you look carefully, you will notice two plastic bowls half hidden by the leaves of one of the trees nearby (arrow).
"Hey, look!" I said to my wife. "Two of our plastic bowls are in the branches of this tree."
"Stop putting me on" she said, continuing to do whatever she was doing. I did not blame her. I do sometimes put one on to bring about some amusement in life.
"No, really. Look at that tree."
She looked. "Why would they steal our bowls?" she said, upset that the crows had stolen three bowls.
"Perhaps they thought it would be easier to drink water in the comfort of their homes rather than coming here all the way."
"The bowls would fill with water by themselves?" she asked.
"So the crows must have believed. Or perhaps they are building nests, and wanted to lay one egg in each bowl."
"Now you are putting me on" she accused.
I smiled. "Yes, I am" I said.
The next day I was standing admiring the greenery in the terrace garden and also the trees by the side of the road that passes by our home. If you look carefully, you will notice two plastic bowls half hidden by the leaves of one of the trees nearby (arrow).
"Hey, look!" I said to my wife. "Two of our plastic bowls are in the branches of this tree."
"Stop putting me on" she said, continuing to do whatever she was doing. I did not blame her. I do sometimes put one on to bring about some amusement in life.
"No, really. Look at that tree."
She looked. "Why would they steal our bowls?" she said, upset that the crows had stolen three bowls.
"Perhaps they thought it would be easier to drink water in the comfort of their homes rather than coming here all the way."
"The bowls would fill with water by themselves?" she asked.
"So the crows must have believed. Or perhaps they are building nests, and wanted to lay one egg in each bowl."
"Now you are putting me on" she accused.
I smiled. "Yes, I am" I said.
