I returned home early this morning and on the front lawn were five crows, near the vegetable patch. I was overcome with a sudden but brief sense of dread. Not because the crows were eating the vegetables, but because they were crows, beautiful and black, on the green lawn covered in drying cut grass. I noticed them through the pines, and then as I turned into the driveway, they rose into the air, first into the pines, and then across the road. Later my neighbour said: did you see the young crow? I said: no. She said: I didn’t see it either, but I heard it. It has a special high screetching caw. Later still I heard the high screeching caw and ran down to the yard to see the young crow. I couldn’t tell, or perhaps the young crow left before the others. I hoped, almost against hope, that the crow had fallen to the ground below the pine trees – or perhaps was in a nest in the pine tree! but it did not present itself or I couldn’t find it. I sent the dog into the yard to keep the crows away from the vegetable patch.