The bird who trained a human to feed it...John the jackdaw with Michael Healy in the Super Pack shop, Glanmire. See Evening Echo for more.

THE clientele of a fruit-and-veg store in Glanmire have been left all-a-flutter by a charming jackdaw that they now know simply as John.
At first they were shocked to see the bird fly into the Super Pack shop in Crestfield Shopping Centre and land on the cash-till. Locals were even more stunned when the jackdaw — the second smallest in the crow family — answered  to the call of store owner Michael Healy, before crawling up his arm and accepting a grape while perched on his shoulder.
Now he is part of the community with shoppers quizzing Michael on the well-being of the bird. This reporter was amazed by the sight of the remarkable bird in action.
“Well, John, you are late today?” said
Michael when the jackdaw flew in as quick as a flash into the store. He then approached the jackdaw, putting out his arm for him to perch on. Michael and John then walked back towards the counter where he fetched a seedless grape for the bird, who had now made his way onto his shoulder, before feeding him. In an instant John flew from the store, grape in his beak.
“He would usually fly straight in and sit up on top of the counter but he was probably a bit wary because there was someone else in here,” explained Michael  who revealed John is very well-behaved and never goes near any of the produce — instead waiting for his friend to fetch him his meal.
“It started about 12 months ago. He used to be outside the shop and I would throw him out the odd grape. One day I was too busy to go out to him and he came into the shop, walked right around the counter to me. He realised I was feeding him and would call me every day.
“He started taking the grape out of my hand after a while — he would land up on the till and wait for me. If I was at the back of the shop he would follow me.”
John arrives for his grape three times a day, morning, lunch and in the afternoon.
“He was very put out when the hour changed but he is back on schedule now.
It cheers people up to see him. He never talks about the recession or water charges. He has his own little fan club. Kids always call in asking about John. He is a cult hero in the shop but I reckon he is a hero among birds too, after training a human to feed him three times a day.”