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Bongo’s Advice to New Parents

/ The Urban Nature Enthusiast / 4 Comments

One of the things they tell you when you have a new baby is “When the baby naps, you do too.”

Bongo is clearly all over that advice, especially as he and Bella are run ragged trying to keep three fledglings fed and safe.

This is often considered a rather bonkers time of year, crow-wise, with attention drawn to the dive-bombing and frantic cawing. It’s true, it’s a noisy, stressful time of year — but there are, if you look carefully, a lot of quiet moments too.

Take yesterday, for example.

Bongo came down to greet me on our early afternoon walk. He gave a short “bong, bong” just as a noisy truck went by.

Side note: I have noticed that he often “bongs” when something noisy is going on — maybe to make his voice carry over it … or perhaps he’s lodging a noise bylaw infraction complaint … I don’t know, but someone with a science background should really study Bongo …

Anyway, back to Bongo … this video is quite long, but I encourage you to watch to the end — and perhaps try to visualize this if you’re ever having trouble getting to sleep yourself. I believe Bongo could give Sleep Clinic seminars.

 

It was a warm afternoon, so Bongo makes the most of his “me time” by catching the slight breeze in his outstretched wings as his eye slowly, slowly close.

Well, one eye, at least. A crow parent can’t close both eyes for more than a second, as you never know when the resident eagle is going to cruise by in search of baby crow-shaped snacks for her own fledglings.

He was SO relaxed, I was starting to feel dozy watching him.

Amid all of the seasonal cawing and dive-bombing, the  crow parents are trying to grab  a quiet moment or two for some self-care before heading back into the fledgling fray.

Two of Bongo and Bella’s babies snoozing

So, Bongo’s advice? Whenever you get the chance, let it all go, feel the sun on your feathers, let the breeze blow under your wings and sink into a relaxing crow-nap.

Snore …

 

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© junehunterimages, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to junehunterimages with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Bongo The Busker

/ The Urban Nature Enthusiast / 19 Comments

Since my old friend Mabel disappeared a year ago, her corner and the prized “ring of authority” have been inherited by a new pair of crows, Bongo and his mate, Bella.

Bella is currently keeping a low profile while sitting on the nest.

Bongo, it transpires, is a musical performer — a local vocal virtuoso.

It was around this time last year when he first stopped me in my tracks. Perhaps he felt that, since he wasn’t Mabel, he was going to have to go the extra mile to get my attention …

I’ve been trying to figure out what prompts Bongo’s vocal performances.

Things I have noticed:

  • they are certainly not a daily occurrence
  • they seem to be saved for the spring nesting season
  • it often seems to be raining (but that could be more to do with nesting season occurring in typically wet spring Vancouver weather)

Here is one recent and especially impassioned rendition …

In this video there are calls from other crows that he pauses to listen to.

On most other occasions he waits for a quiet moment and seems to be putting on a concert especially for me.

It could be that he has mistaken me for a visiting impresario, and is hoping for a  Broadway breakthrough. More likely — he’s cleverly deduced that a short recitation results in a few more peanuts.

He certainly puts a lot of effort into his performances — tail  and wings outspread like a maestro fanning out his tailcoat for dramatic impact. A deep ceremonial bow is also part of the performance.

What does it all mean? Is he mimicking something, or is he interpreting the world through song? Is he a crow poet … a bird bard?

Each time I hear him I come up with new ideas.

Is he doing his impression of:

  • the back-up beeping of heavy machinery?
  • the distant “boing” of a dinner gong? (not that this is really a “dinner gong” sort of neighbourhood …)
  • a cat’s plaintive miaowing?

Or is he simply expressing his feelings with a heartfelt “wow” at all the wonders of the world?

When I’ve posted his calls on social media, a lot of people fall squarely into the “sounds just like a  cat” camp. Somehow I’m not quite convinced, as Bongo’s “bongs” don’t sound quite like our cat, Edgar, whose miaows are a considerably more sustained and dramatic.

But that might just be Edgar.

The following video of White Wing (also captured during nesting season) has her making a series of short “barks” followed by a much more convincing, soulful cat and Edgar-like miaow/yowl.

Another thing to note about the Songs of Bongo are that, although soft sounding, they travel far amid the other chaotic city sounds. Rather like a raven, Bongo has excellent projection.

Anyway, Bongo has become one of my favourite crows — and not just because of his troubadour skills. He’s an engaging model and is being a conscientious dad by staying close to his corner and keeping an eye on Bella and the nest.

Bongo is the subject of one of my latest print images, Rust and Crow, in which he manages to look all at once fierce, elegant and (like his forbear Mabel) ever so slightly frazzled — a combination that only crows seem able to pull off perfectly.

I shall give the last, short word to Bongo, who sometimes gives single-bong recitals.
Brief, yet full of meaning …

 

 

 

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© junehunterimages, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to junehunterimages with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Crows in Snow

/ The Urban Nature Enthusiast / 25 Comments

 

The last few weeks of “crazy-for-Vancouver” snow has given me the opportunity to do one of my favourite things — photographing crows in snow.

So much snow!

So many crows!

In the snow!

Consequently I’ve been spending most of the extra time I gained by closing my shop for the holidays trudging about in sub zero temperatures taking pictures.

The house is not cleaned for Christmas dinner or anything like that, but I DO have lots and lots of snow crow photos. I think the 2024 City Crow Calendar may have a  disproportionate number of winter scenes!

Now, as quickly as it arrived, the snow is melting in great rivers of less-than-photogenic slush. A perfect day to stay inside and write a blog post.

But, what’s that you say?  it’s Christmas Eve??? Yikes.

Still so much to do, so it’s going to be a picture heavy post of Crow Snow Angels and feathery festive good wishes to you all.

Snow-weighted bamboo blocking a local alley way

Marvin and Mavis hanging out in the snowy snowbell tree in the back garden

Mavis testing the edibility of the snowbell seeds

White Wing in early December — the day after this photo was taken, she lost her distinctive feather, as she does regularly

 

By mid-December, White Wings feather is starting to show again

The Walkers at our appointed meeting place

Pearl and Echo on their usual corner

 

Fluffy feather pantaloons are deployed to keep crow legs warmer in the freezing weather. I’m often asked how their feet don’t freeze. It’s because bird feet are mostly bone and tendon, with few nerves and also because they have a special circulation system, described here by Birdnote.org

Have you ever watched ducks walking around in freezing temperatures and wondered why their feet don’t freeze? And how do birds, including this Northern Flicker, sit on metal perches with no problem? Birds’ feet have a miraculous adaptation that keeps them from freezing. Rete mirabile — Latin for “wonderful net” — is a fine, netlike pattern of arteries that interweaves blood from a bird’s heart with the veins carrying cold blood from its feet and legs. The system cools the blood so the little blood that goes down to the feet is already cold, so the birds don’t lose much heat. The small amount that goes to the feet is likely just enough to keep the feet from freezing.

A touch of Nordic noir yesterday morning. Hard to believe how much warmer and wetter it is today!

Some crows keeping their eyes open for Santa …

Hope Santa makes it to your house and merry wishes from all of us at ours!

The “more is more” school of festive interior décor!

 

 

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© junehunterimages, 2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to junehunterimages with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.