There’s something adorably entertaining happening right now over at Sit N’Stay Pet Sitting in Burien – and it involves some black-clawed flying creatures – CROWS!
This licensed, bonded and insured Burien-based business, owned by Brittany Shelton, is going to the birds – and her friends and followers on social media have a front row seat.
It all started on May 19, 2020 when Shelton found a Nestling Crow that had fallen out of its nest into her RV yard. She named him Raven and cared for him under the watchful eyes of his parents, who ultimately allowed him to flourish under Shelton’s care via a hanging plant basket attached to a tree.
Shelton shared on Instagram, “He’s recognizing us, eager to eat and making his caw noises! We swear he even shook his little tail feathers with joy today!” She added, “His mom and dad stay close and seem to approve of our efforts!”
A few days later, on May 22, 2020, Shelton shared, “He’s doing really well! Yesterday, I got him a couple bigger nests so he can move around more. He seemed to like the new setup. But, he needs to be able to stretch his little bird legs and walk around. So, when I get home today, we are going to set up a big box for him in the yard like a playpen that way he can hang in there during the day then, return to his hanging basket in the tree at night to keep him safe from predators. He acted pretty excited and said maybe his parents could visit him in the box. I told him I know they will! They are liking our ‘crow-parenting’ situation.”
Shelton continued her crow-parenting success with Raven on May 24, 2020 where she wrote, “Raven made his first big ‘hop’ onto my knee and he also worked on getting his balance and gaining confidence in a perched position.”
Shelton said she noticed that body language was a large factor in Raven’s communication. “For instance, he gets yard time each feeding and he will listen intently to his family caw cawing above. He’ll stretch out his little neck, his feet will do a quick tippy tap, then he’ll propel himself forward in a hop as if he’s about to take flight. It seems they are cheering him on, as are we.” She continued, “My hope is that he will be a bilingual freebird.”
“This is such a cool journey we’re taking with him right now and I’ve got to wonder about [its] significance,” she continued. “I believe paths are crossed for a reason. Might break out the Tarot cards tonight and see if anything comes to light. Can’t wait to see what unfolds with him tomorrow!”
Trust us, we want to hear what the Tarot cards said, too! In the meantime, this crow’s journey continued on May 25, 2020 with Shelton.
“It’s amazing how intuitive animals are. I’ve been a little sad today and, not only have my dogs tried to help me feel better, so has this little guy,” Shelton wrote. “He looks up at me and makes the slightest little coos while I talk to him like he understands human hardships. His family has been hanging out on the fence and the neighboring roof. When I arrived home from seeing clients this am they didn’t fly off immediately, either. They must be getting used to our routines.”
She added, “One of my clients gave me a large, galvanized bucket today to put him in. It’s wide and will provide him ample room to move about. Also, it’s a bit deeper so I don’t stay up at night worried he’s unintentionally leapt out of his nest and fallen to the ground. Yes….that thought has kept me awake with worry the past several nights.”
Raven soon started to forage for his own food – a huge milestone.
“Raven had a big day of firsts! His initial big victory came when he began slightly pecking at the ground and the he picked up the tiniest pinecone with his mouth! This shows he’s starting to learn to forage!” Shelton wrote. “Then, later in the afternoon, I decided to sit on a large rock across the yard so he would have to walk over to me. He made quick progress before he was faced with a bag of soil as an obstacle. I clicked, and before I knew it, he had hopped on the bag and used his wings for balance. Then, he came to me at the rock and I could see him psyching himself up for this, the biggest of all leaps he’s made. He rocked back and forth, stretch out his little neck out, stood up tall and HOP! He cleared it and he puffed out his little chest while we clapped for him like he knew he just did something very cool!”
Apparently birds “pant” in the sun just like other animals, something Shelton had no idea about before meeting Raven.
“I quickly googled it and discovered he was a little too hot which, makes sense, due to our increased temps,” she wrote on May 27, 2020. “So, I soaked a shredded t-shirt and draped it over him, then tucked him back under the canopy of the tree.”
She added, “It’s so beautiful watching his personality develop and exploring all his firsts. Tomorrow, I’m going to try to set him up a little bird bath. Can’t wait to see what adventures unfold!”
Raven, ever the child, threw a little tantrum next. He also enjoyed his first-ever human-made bird bath. “He dipped his beak in and splashed about, turning around and, occasionally, losing his footing on the slick plate. I let him play until he was done, then he hopped out on his own and shook his body from the top of his beak to the last tail feather,” she wrote.
Raven began roaming the RV yard more independently on May 28, 2020 and became obsessed with his independence. So much so, he even took his own bath without coaxing!
“Last night, he leapt out of his nest as I was putting him to bed,” Shelton posted. “After a stern talking to, and letting him know it was time for beddie bye, he was tucked back in.”
When it rains it pours! At least in the Pacific Northwest. It was a particularly stormy evening when Shelton made the decision to move the bird inside to keep it warm.
“I feel better knowing he’s not all alone in the pouring rain with nothing to keep him warm and dry,” she wrote. “I know they endure in the wild but, this is more for my peace of mind and he’s allowed to be a little spoiled.”
Shelton wrote on Day 13, May 31, 2020, “This evening, we encouraged him to eat seed and he pecked at the pile and was able to pick up a couple! We also practiced flying while Mom watched from the neighbor’s tree. I bet she’s as proud of him as we are! We’ve started him on some bird vitamins as well as a dose of ivermectin just to be sure we tackle any potential parasites. He’s getting so big and I can hardly stand how cute he is!”
One day later, Raven took flight for the first time. The following day, Raven scaled the steps of the RV and tried hopping onto bikes in the yard. Shelton was even presented with a stone by her little man – a gift.
“I have an undeniable connection with this sweet creature,” she wrote. “My relationships with animals is one of the coolest parts of my life and this experience is pretty high up on the awesome scale!”
The next several days brought heartache to Shelton as the foster crow she loved so dearly, well, departed.
“I left Raven in the yard after another meal and some bonding time,” she remembered. “I looked over my shoulder at him, standing on his hill of dirt, preening himself. My heart was full. An hour later, upon venturing out to tuck him into his nest and hang him safely from his tree, he was gone. Vanished. No sign of a struggle, my precious boy just GONE.”
She added, “I lament on the last several days with a fractured heart beyond anything I imagined. My emotions echoing into each hour as I try to wrap my head around the sudden loss of a being I came to love so deeply…This past week, I see Raven everywhere I go; he imprinted in me and I on him. We will be endlessly connected and that’s a gift that can never be taken away. Raven, wherever you are, know that my love for you was boundless.”
Okay, but not so fast. Raven was alive – and he came back on June 26, 2020.
“Everyone! I have amazing news! Raven is alive and well! He came to visit me with his family! I can’t tell you the utter relief and amazement at his return!” she wrote. Also, a new crow on the block was introduced in this post.
“I’d like you to meet Kismet! Barry Mantelli and I have been caring for him since one of my clients found him in a dangerous area and called me to help!” she shared. “After establishing his parents weren’t around and there was no place to safely place him, we rescued him! We’ve had him almost two weeks now and he is thriving. He is much more talkative and demanding than Raven.”
She said she hoped Raven’s parents might adopt Kismet.
“It is not unusual for crows to adopt,” she said. “I don’t know why these babies have entered my life but, I am absolutely fascinated by them and am humbled by their presence. Every day is an adventure!”
Just as with Raven, Shelton worked closely with Kismet to teach the young brave bird how to fly.
“I sat back and, all of a sudden, baby boy took flight and landed on my knee, then, up to my shoulder!” she wrote. “He then leapt to the wheel barrow and kind of biffed but, recovered and tried again. Kismet flew! There’s a bitter sweetness to the air because this means, Kismet is likely to fly the coop soon. This realization is difficult but makes me want to really relish each day with him. He enjoyed hamburger and apples today and has far less quills exposed on his feathers. He was quite proud displaying his new moves!”
Raven and Kismet overlapped for roughly 15 days before Raven initially flew the coop, so to speak. In retrospect and for the purpose of filling in her readers during that traumatic time, Shelton said she compared the two crows constantly.
“I noticed today that Kismet has quite a bit more feathers than Raven did at this stage which, leads me to believe, Kismet is a bit older than Raven is,” she shared. “There are so many similarities in their personalities yet, abundant contrasts and, I find myself trying to adjust for both.”
She added, “Tomorrow I want to hang more shiny things since he is so attracted to them. As far as I’m concerned, the entire RV yard can be Kismet’s oasis!”
Raven and Kismet began interweaving in one another’s lives even more on July 1, 2020.
“This morning, I caught Raven’s Dad hanging out on the RV,” Shelton wrote. “That’s the first time I’ve seen them actually IN the yard and not watching from afar or on the fence. It’s exciting to have them so interested in him. It kind of makes me feel special to think these two crows we’ve raised might share the same family! I wonder if they would communicate their experiences with each other.”
As if things couldn’t get any cuter with Kismet, this happened:
“He’s so needy but, when he’s ready to be independent, he basically turns his back and waddles off,” Shelton wrote. “I can always tell if he’s cool with me leaving him when he doesn’t chase me as I walk to the gate. We have that understanding and when he needs to bird, I let him.”
Speaking of letting him bird, Kismet decided it was time to fly – and return with gifts for his adopted mom.
Shelton shared, “Guess who stayed out late and was waiting for me this morning?! KISMET! His first night as a big boy on his own! I walked out this morning and he cawed at me then flew onto my head. My heart is sooo full he returned!”
So, what have we learned through these foster and adoption stories herein? Well, the first lesson learned is that Brittany Shelton is a pretty cool cat we’d like to keep following for a while. The second thing is that crows are curious creatures we never quite gave enough credit to in the first place! Won’t be making that mistake again! CAW!
Sarah Toce is a screenwriter and journalist whose bylines include: CSPAN, Raw Story, Alternet, New Civil Rights Movement, Windy City Times, Hollywood News Feed, and others. Twitter/Instagram: @SarahToce.
Founder/Publisher/Editor. Three-time National Emmy Award winning Writer (“Bill Nye the Science Guy”), Director, Producer, Journalist and more...
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