Many of us love the birds in ourgarden, but it's very rare for that affection to be reciprocated.
One young girl in Seattle is luckier than most. She feeds the crows in her garden, and in return they bring her gifts.
Eight-year-old Gabi Mann has a box full of small objects in clear plastic bags with labels.
One label reads: “Black table by feeder. 2:30 p.m. 09 Nov 2014.” Inside the bag is a broken light bulb. Another bag contains small pieces of brown glass worn smooth by the sea. "Beer colored glass," as Gabi describes it.
Each item is individually wrapped and categorized. "We keep it in as good condition as we can," she says.
In the box you can find a miniature silver ball, a black button, a blue paper clip, a yellow bead, a faded black piece of foam, a blue Lego piece, and the list goes on.
Each item was a gift, given to her by crows.
Gabi's relationship with the neighborhood crows began accidentally in 2011. She was four years old, and prone to dropping food. She would get out of the car, and a chicken nugget would tumble off her lap. A crow would rush in to recover it.
Soon, the crows were watching for her, hoping for another bite.
As she got older, she started to share her packed lunch on the way to the bus stop. Her brother joined in.
Soon, crows were lining up in the afternoon to greet Gabi's bus, hoping for another feeding session.
As for Gabi's mother Lisa, she said that she likes that her children love the animals and are willing to share, while admitting she never noticed crows until her daughter took an interest in them.
In 2013, Gabi and Lisa started offering food as a daily ritual, rather than dropping scraps from time to time.
Each morning, they fill the backyard birdbath with fresh water and cover bird-feeder platforms with peanuts. Gabi throws handfuls of dog food into the grass. As they work, crows assemble on the telephone lines, calling loudly to them.
It was after they adopted this routine that the gifts started appearing.
The crows would clear the feeder of peanuts, and leave shiny trinkets on the empty tray; an earring, a hinge, a polished rock.
When you see Gabi's collection, it's hard not to wish for gift-giving crows of your own.