We raised a baby crow years ago. To this day the local murder visits us. But best of all is in my wanderings is seeing a crow flying so close to an eagle he is on his back. Then tugs on the eagle's tail feathers.
Serendipity moments are everywhere. Just got to be open and not looking at the small computer in your hand. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for reminding us to notice and value the small and fleeting joys of urban wildlife.
I think my favorite phenomenon is the cloud of mist that lingers after an orca (or other cetacean) takes a breath. Sometimes it is the only trace of them you can spot from shore or the ferry.
Mobbing is one of my favorite evanescent moments to witness. The sheer chutzpah needed for crows to mob an eagle--which I saw at Myrtle Edwards Park--is one of the reasons I love crows so much. Add to that, the alliance formed by crows and seagulls during these mobbing moments makes my mind do a little somersault. These two types of birds are usually annoyances to one another, both vying for similar scraps around town. Throw in a lingering Cooper's hawk, and they bond together like soldiers, wreaking as much havoc on that poor bird's head as possible.
Wonderful!! The leaf shadows do best and last longest on concrete or cement as the tannins get "fixed" by the basic pH of the surface. I suppose the light color also helps. Cheers!!
Thanks for the images. Your combination of stories about trees, birds, and the skies reminded me of an experience I had one January, 40 years ago.
I took a boat from Sicily to Tunisia and fell in with lots of young European travelers. We disembarked late in the winter afternoon and walked to the center of town along a broad divided boulevard with trees planted in the median.
It was approaching sunset, and birds were taking flight from the trees. They circulated chaotically but gradually merged into clusters. Each group flew as one, darting back and forth, up and around, presumably following clouds of insects.
Around that time, a local fellow approached. He was talkative. He said that the birds are famous for their formations. One time, he said, photographers from Paris came to take pictures of them. For the occasion, the birds spelled out "Allah" in the sky, in Arabic.
When I was about 8 years old I rescued some sort of black bird out of my grandmother's laundry room, small open door and lots of windows. My reward - mobbed by said blackbird and its friends for the next week whenever I walked down the road and over to cousins' farms. Other people weren't mobbed, they obviously knew me for, what they thought, the evil deed. They must have been Blackbirds, but I am not sure.
Loved the Tony Angel illustration- I immediately recognized it from one of my favorite books! Please tell our friend Tony that I periodically reread this lovely tribute to Corvids.
And thanks for the reminder to enjoy ephemerals whenever/wherever we find them
We raised a baby crow years ago. To this day the local murder visits us. But best of all is in my wanderings is seeing a crow flying so close to an eagle he is on his back. Then tugs on the eagle's tail feathers.
Serendipity moments are everywhere. Just got to be open and not looking at the small computer in your hand. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for reminding us to notice and value the small and fleeting joys of urban wildlife.
I think my favorite phenomenon is the cloud of mist that lingers after an orca (or other cetacean) takes a breath. Sometimes it is the only trace of them you can spot from shore or the ferry.
Linnea, Lovely. I always feel blessed to see whale blow! David
Mobbing is one of my favorite evanescent moments to witness. The sheer chutzpah needed for crows to mob an eagle--which I saw at Myrtle Edwards Park--is one of the reasons I love crows so much. Add to that, the alliance formed by crows and seagulls during these mobbing moments makes my mind do a little somersault. These two types of birds are usually annoyances to one another, both vying for similar scraps around town. Throw in a lingering Cooper's hawk, and they bond together like soldiers, wreaking as much havoc on that poor bird's head as possible.
Wonderful!! The leaf shadows do best and last longest on concrete or cement as the tannins get "fixed" by the basic pH of the surface. I suppose the light color also helps. Cheers!!
Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the images. Your combination of stories about trees, birds, and the skies reminded me of an experience I had one January, 40 years ago.
I took a boat from Sicily to Tunisia and fell in with lots of young European travelers. We disembarked late in the winter afternoon and walked to the center of town along a broad divided boulevard with trees planted in the median.
It was approaching sunset, and birds were taking flight from the trees. They circulated chaotically but gradually merged into clusters. Each group flew as one, darting back and forth, up and around, presumably following clouds of insects.
Around that time, a local fellow approached. He was talkative. He said that the birds are famous for their formations. One time, he said, photographers from Paris came to take pictures of them. For the occasion, the birds spelled out "Allah" in the sky, in Arabic.
Thanks for sharing.
When I was about 8 years old I rescued some sort of black bird out of my grandmother's laundry room, small open door and lots of windows. My reward - mobbed by said blackbird and its friends for the next week whenever I walked down the road and over to cousins' farms. Other people weren't mobbed, they obviously knew me for, what they thought, the evil deed. They must have been Blackbirds, but I am not sure.
Dang!
Loved the Tony Angel illustration- I immediately recognized it from one of my favorite books! Please tell our friend Tony that I periodically reread this lovely tribute to Corvids.
And thanks for the reminder to enjoy ephemerals whenever/wherever we find them
I will let him know. Hope all is well in the desert.