I remember a case where a girl received presents from crows in exchange for food. Once her mom dropped her camera's lens cap and sure enough one of the crows found it and returned it to the little girl for her mom. That is scary smart.
"Lisa, Gabi's mom, regularly photographs the crows and charts their behaviour and interactions. Her most amazing gift came just a few weeks ago, when she lost a lens cap in a nearby alley while photographing a bald eagle as it circled over the neighbourhood. . . She didn't even have to look for it. It was sitting on the edge of the birdbath.
Had the crows returned it? Lisa logged on to her computer and pulled up their bird-cam. There was the crow she suspected. "You can see it bringing it into the yard. Walks it to the birdbath and actually spends time rinsing this lens cap."
"I'm sure that it was intentional," she smiles. "They watch us all the time. I'm sure they knew I dropped it. I'm sure they decided they wanted to return it." "
Scary smart is how I would describe it, as well. My wife and I are living in an area where we are regularly visited by somewhere around 8 squirrels, two magpies, a few robbins, one pheasant, a badger, and a family of foxes. We both get so much pleasure from observing these critters. The squirrels squabble with one another constantly, but everyone takes a powder when the foxes show up. These are beautiful animals, but nothing like I'd imagined them. They're a lot bigger than I thought, almost the size of coyotes. We don't interact with them ... they're wild animals. We just enjoy watching them.
If only the inhabitants of Bodega Bay had known what little Gabi knew instinctively, Alfred Hitchcock's most gruesme movie mighr have had a much happier ending!
Crows are a menace.. Not to rain in the parade, but let me rain.....
We were troubled by an abundance. Ergo crow hunts. Yes they are bright and communicate among themselves.
The hunt attire included covering up every inch of skin. Bee keeping regalia was necessary as well as gloves. A portable recording of crow calls would blast out. Miss one that came in, and one was finished for the day. They kill whatever they can... have been known to kill kittens. A tale from Red State America!
Were those particular crows featured in Hitchcock's horror flick?
I understand those particular birds went through weeks of rigorous conditioning by sadistic Avian Tutors to act as fearsome as they did. Naturally it warped their personalities.
Or maybe they remembered the terrible day their ancestors had had to endure when "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" were "Baked in a Pie?"
Birds are great experts at transmitting important events from past generations though Avian Oral History. They are far more aware of past injustices and disrespect than most human beings imagine.
Bunk, reminds me of a funny story. In Arizona, we had a calico cat named Fuzzy and we had a cat door in the bedroom door to the outside at the rear of the house. She routinely would go out and hunt, sometimes catching a bird. After a little while, I told her, Watch Out Fuzzy, those birds are going to hire a hitman and you're going to be in some trouble.
About a week later, a mockingbird started hanging out on the roof near the back of the house. Every time Fuzzy went out that mockingbird dive bombed her. It wasn't long at all that Fuzzy would stick her out out the cat door and take good long looks before actually heading out.
Hitchcock hired Ray Berwick to work with the birds in the film. Ray trained birds for months and months. Ravens and crows are extremely intelligent and even learned to peck hamburger off of actors' faces, for some 'attack' scenes. But the smaller birds were more trouble. In the scene where sparrows fly down the chimney, they tried lowering 2,000 bullfinches down. The bullfinches decided to just hang out on available perches! They ended up having to have the actors pretend to shoo away imaginary birds, and effected in the flying avians.
Seagulls were better. Ray had them trained to circle over actors, attack, and then return to his hand. When working with the children he would carefully wire their beaks shut, just in case, but the birds were extremely well behaved.
Thanks Bunk. I'm shy on those kinds of details but I do remember reading that Tippi being attacked in that bedroom was pretty much the real deal. She was terrified and the birds were definitely attacking and it took an effort to get her out of there.
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
I remember a case where a girl received presents from crows in exchange for food. Once her mom dropped her camera's lens cap and sure enough one of the crows found it and returned it to the little girl for her mom.
ReplyDeleteThat is scary smart.
That is this story Cube. Click on the image.
Delete"Lisa, Gabi's mom, regularly photographs the crows and charts their behaviour and interactions. Her most amazing gift came just a few weeks ago, when she lost a lens cap in a nearby alley while photographing a bald eagle as it circled over the neighbourhood.
.
.
She didn't even have to look for it. It was sitting on the edge of the birdbath.
Had the crows returned it? Lisa logged on to her computer and pulled up their bird-cam. There was the crow she suspected. "You can see it bringing it into the yard. Walks it to the birdbath and actually spends time rinsing this lens cap."
"I'm sure that it was intentional," she smiles. "They watch us all the time. I'm sure they knew I dropped it. I'm sure they decided they wanted to return it." "
Scary smart is how I would describe it, as well. My wife and I are living in an area where we are regularly visited by somewhere around 8 squirrels, two magpies, a few robbins, one pheasant, a badger, and a family of foxes. We both get so much pleasure from observing these critters. The squirrels squabble with one another constantly, but everyone takes a powder when the foxes show up. These are beautiful animals, but nothing like I'd imagined them. They're a lot bigger than I thought, almost the size of coyotes. We don't interact with them ... they're wild animals. We just enjoy watching them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the nature Mustang. We have a good variety here too. It is a little 'get away from it all' moment when I can just sit and watch.
DeleteIf only the inhabitants of Bodega Bay had known what little Gabi knew instinctively, Alfred Hitchcock's most gruesme movie mighr have had a much happier ending!
ReplyDeleteThose birds were definitely triggered Franco. Maybe they had a crush on Tippi Hedren like Al did.
DeleteCrows are a menace.. Not to rain in the parade, but let me rain.....
ReplyDeleteWe were troubled by an abundance. Ergo crow hunts. Yes they are bright and communicate among themselves.
The hunt attire included covering up every inch of skin. Bee keeping regalia was necessary as well as gloves. A portable recording of crow calls would blast out. Miss one that came in, and one was finished for the day.
They kill whatever they can... have been known to kill kittens.
A tale from Red State America!
Just a simple tale from Red State America!
Were those particular crows featured in Hitchcock's horror flick?
DeleteI understand those particular birds went through weeks of rigorous conditioning by sadistic Avian Tutors to act as fearsome as they did. Naturally it warped their personalities.
Or maybe they remembered the terrible day their ancestors had had to endure when "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" were "Baked in a Pie?"
Birds are great experts at transmitting important events from past generations though Avian Oral History. They are far more aware of past injustices and disrespect than most human beings imagine.
No problem Cube, you have to deal with what you got. I've heard that if you mistreat them they will remember your face forever.
DeleteI found it especially enjoyable when they dive bombed you... Hold on... PETA is on the line...
DeleteBunk, reminds me of a funny story. In Arizona, we had a calico cat named Fuzzy and we had a cat door in the bedroom door to the outside at the rear of the house. She routinely would go out and hunt, sometimes catching a bird. After a little while, I told her, Watch Out Fuzzy, those birds are going to hire a hitman and you're going to be in some trouble.
DeleteAbout a week later, a mockingbird started hanging out on the roof near the back of the house. Every time Fuzzy went out that mockingbird dive bombed her. It wasn't long at all that Fuzzy would stick her out out the cat door and take good long looks before actually heading out.
Hitchcock hired Ray Berwick to work with the birds in the film. Ray trained birds for months and months. Ravens and crows are extremely intelligent and even learned to peck hamburger off of actors' faces, for some 'attack' scenes. But the smaller birds were more trouble. In the scene where sparrows fly down the chimney, they tried lowering 2,000 bullfinches down. The bullfinches decided to just hang out on available perches! They ended up having to have the actors pretend to shoo away imaginary birds, and effected in the flying avians.
ReplyDeleteSeagulls were better. Ray had them trained to circle over actors, attack, and then return to his hand. When working with the children he would carefully wire their beaks shut, just in case, but the birds were extremely well behaved.
https://www.lisashea.com/birding/movies/art5770.html
Thanks Bunk. I'm shy on those kinds of details but I do remember reading that Tippi being attacked in that bedroom was pretty much the real deal. She was terrified and the birds were definitely attacking and it took an effort to get her out of there.
DeleteAnd Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
ReplyDelete2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
Ed, there is a reward for living right.
DeleteI hope so.
Delete