As little as I’ve been out in the field with my camera lately (relative to how it used to be), I’ve had a disproportionate number of firsts in terms of wildlife viewings. Some of it is my change of environment and the newness of Seattle and its wild offspring. And some of it is, well…
Eagle & Crow
There’s no lack of courage among the black birds. (Exhibit B: the eagle/crow face off I photographed last October.) I joke that Bald Eagles in Seattle are never without a personal entourage, usually crows and gulls. In this particular altercation, a Red-winged Blackbird joined the squadron as the eagle flew over Union Bay Natural Area…
Crow in Snow
The above American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) was standing behind a short wall with snow on top — and he had a backdrop of snow which created the effect of this portrait. Crow flying against a background of snow-covered trees — and kicking snow off her feet as she takes off. This pair of crows was…
The Crow Who Changed My Life
My thanks to Lyanda Lynn Haupt for the book that reminded me to honor my original inspiration: the crow. It’s because of a crow that I became who I am. My mother arrived home one day with a juvenile crow in a box. I was just a kid, fourteen or so. Mom was dropping my…
A Murder of Crows
My friend Britta turned me on to this PBS Nature special: A Murder of Crows. It’s a fascinating and touching look at crow intelligence. It’s also heartbreaking in spots, as it covers the crows’ adaptation to us and our antagonism toward them. Crows share some of our traits — traits which allow them to adapt…
Crow on the Outside, Looking In
There’s a wetlands pond not far away, with a group of friendly, habituated Mallards . . . and a small contingent of alert, migrating ducks (this week: Wigeons) who keep to themselves in the shade of the reeds, as far from humans as possible. The Mallards approach any new human. The possibility of food from…
Blog Trail: Shooting My Universe
Steve Borichevsky’s blog, Shooting My Universe, is one I’ve been following for a time. It’s one photographer’s view of Cape Ann, Massachusetts (and beyond). His latest post — The Crow — inspired today’s cross-link.
Not-So-Ordinary Black Birds
Until the esteemed Brewer’s Blackbird Sir Swoopsmade a name for himself by dive-bombing pedestrians, there’s a good chance he was just one of many birds in black, hopping along the sidewalks of San Francisco without much notice. On first glance, blackbirds and black-colored birds may seem visually ordinary. But closer inspection always renders a more…
