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At MacDonald Park on the Sumas Prairie the Great Blue Herons have formed a nesting colony. In a very short period of time, I watched several Great Blue Heron fly down to the river's edge to gather twigs for their nests.
Material Girl cover shoot - www.materialgirl-mag.com
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Photography - Lucia O'Connor-McCarthy
Styling - Coline Bach
Make-up - Elias Hove using Illamasqa cosmetics
Hair - Adlena Dignam using Kevin Murphy
Set - Stéphanie Kevers
Photo assistants - Chloe Taylor, Becca Sellers
Styling assistants - Esther MK, Kelsang Dorjee Dongsar
Models - Belle & Layla @ Select, Stacey @ Models1
SPECIAL THANKS to my lovely parents for be amazing on the day!
All images © Lucia O'Connor-McCarthy
“Geschenkverpackungsmaterial.“
Auswahlfoto:
Für“Smile on Saturday“
Thema:“Gift Wrapping Material“!!!
😄Happy Smile on Saturday😄for all of stay healthy.
Thanks for views,faves and comments:-)
MTPO is a very soft material that LEGO uses for parts that need to bend sharply without being damaged. I wasn’t able to find much information on this material, but it seems it’s a variant of TPO, a category of thermoplastics blended with elastomers.
Material Circulante: Takargo 6001 + Captrain 5002 + 2 Lfgss (Transfesa) + 3 Laagrss (Captrain) + 5 Lgnss (Captrain) + 9 Sggmrss (VTG)
Hora: 08:41
Data: 20-08-2019
Local: Trajinha (PK 192 - Linha da Beira Alta)
Serviço: Comboio Internacional n.º 41808 (Fuentes de Onõro --» Entroncamento)
Gravity doesn't have any affect on desire. Ceratina Bees seem to become more active in the heat of the day, whether this is due to the temperature or something to do with the light; but that might be limited to our colony. Not sure.
Portland, Oregon.
Groundbreaking for Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Building 1 occurred in 1971, and the building was completed in 1973. The campus itself first opened in 1970, with classes initially held in downtown storefronts while its permanent facility was being constructed.
Hilario Candela was the architect of Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Building 1. As a Cuban-born American architect, he designed key Brutalist-style buildings for several of the college's campuses, including Wolfson.
Candela was a key member of the architectural firm Pancoast, Ferendino, Grafton & Skeels, which designed the initial buildings for the North and Kendall campuses in the 1960s.
His signature "tropical Brutalist" style, with its use of raw concrete, is a defining feature of the Wolfson Campus architecture.
In addition to his work for Miami-Dade College, Candela is also known for designing the iconic Miami Marine Stadium.
Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Building 1 was designed in the Brutalist style, specifically a regional variant referred to as "tropical Brutalism".
Elements of this architectural style as seen in the Wolfson Campus include:
Raw concrete: The buildings prominently feature exposed concrete, emphasizing the material's raw, unadorned nature.
Massive, geometric forms: Brutalist buildings are known for their blocky and monolithic appearance. Architect Hilario Candela, who designed the Wolfson Campus, referred to his vision as "a small city of interconnected geometric masses".
Function over form: In keeping with Brutalist ethos, the building's design emphasizes its function as a modern educational institution.
Adaptation to the Miami climate: In this "tropical Brutalist" interpretation, the buildings use covered walkways and strategically placed open spaces to provide constant shade and cover from the rain.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
apps.miamidadepa.gov/PropertySearch/#/?address=300%20ne%2...
www.google.com/search?q=who+was+the+architect+of+the+miam...
www.google.com/search?q=who+was+the+architect+of+the+miam...
www.google.com/search?q=who+was+the+architect+of+the+miam...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Monday, 11 October 2021
081 sits in Sallypark with a materials train, while the Discover Waterford Hot Air Balloon (EI-ECC) flies overhead.
© Finbarr O'Neill
Our local museum has a marvellous small display which every few months features a different collection, made by someone living in the area. Last month it was staplers - yup - you heard that right! Today there was a collection of over 100 textiles, collected by a woman who has lived and worked in 43 different countries.
Ace Material Placing Telebelt TB 110 concrete conveyor truck at the Putzmeister facility in Sturtevant, Wisconsin.
Material needed:
-Leatherette
-Needle and yarn
-2 Pop buttons
-Super glue
-Clear wrap
-Barbie shoes
-8 Metal beads
*These boots were a part of my Road Warrior dressed OOAK doll.
Después de fotografiarlo por la mañana (www.flickr.com/photos/chuchi4/9414975230/) vi que estaba parado aquí como suponía hasta por la noche, asique me acerqué a hacerle más fotos. La composición como dije es 319.308+Carro de combate M41+Obús 105+J 400.799+BREAK VE10MT+ZZ 1101+BB 5052+DD 5017
Circulación: ORF CGX01 Fuencarral-Monforte de Lemos
Palencia, 1.8.13
Materials: woodblock print. Dimensions: 38 x 26.5 cm. Source: www.artic.edu/artworks/197206/evening-rain-in-kawarago-ka.... I have changed the light and contrast of the original photo.
These bags on shore contain material that had been dredged from canals in Zeeland and are waiting to be picked up for disposal.
I am reworking the material for transparent parts in Blender Cycles. The set up is completely different and I have to re-assess all the hex values. Here is the current state.
Let me know which ones you would change if any.
FDNY 593 HAZ TAC Rescue Medics Ambulance HAZMAT Hazardous Material Fire Department New York Manhattan New York August 2013
Thanks for viewing my photos on Flickr. I can also be found on Twitter
I am also developing a You Tube channel. Please have a look at my videos and make sure you subscribe so you can be first to see when I have uploaded a new video. I will no longer be uploading videos to Flickr.
A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be witness to an Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis) building a nest.
I stood transfixed and mesmerized watching this bird fly backwards and forwards between the reeds finding material to build its nest.
I noticed it carrying some elongated reed material which it wove between upright-standing reeds then it was collecting this fluffy cotton wool-like material from the tops of the reeds to create a nice fluffy cocoon style nest.
Unfortunately, it had located its nest far enough within the marshy reeds that it was too camouflaged to get a clear shot of it complete; so you'll have to be happy with this image of it collecting the "cotton wool" - hope you like it!
Thanks for any comments, views or favorites for this or any of my images - appreciated!!
Have yet another awesome day and week!!
Also known as TPC-ET, TPEE is a rubber-like thermoplastic that has great toughness while also being flexible, often used in automotive parts such as hoses and bearings for its shock absorbance and chemical resistance. LEGO used DuPont's Hytrel for the early watch bands, similarly to how TPU is used today. These bands do seem to hold up over time — they sometimes develop a whitish coating that can be washed off, but I've never seen one cracked or broken.
Henry Moore - Form and Material - Museum Beelden aan Zee - The Hague
In collaboration with the Henry Moore Foundation, Museum Beelden aan Zee has made a selection of works from the artist's substantial oeuvre. Around 70 objects and sculptures portray the artistic vision and creative process of one of the most important innovators of modern sculpture. The exhibition in Beelden aan Zee focuses on the influence of nature on his work and his growth and development as a sculptor. From promoting direct carving – carving without using preparatory sketches and studies – to experimenting with casting in lead and bronze. Henry Moore (1898-1986) is one of the most important British artists of the twentieth century. His sculptures balance on the boundary between figurative and abstract art and continue to be a source of inspiration to artists. His work has a recognisable and characteristic formal language. Important themes in his oeuvre are ‘mother and child’ and his reclining figures, which he explored extensively.
From the 1920s, Moore participated in countless British and international exhibitions, with solo as well as group exhibitions, he sold work on a regular basis, and so made a name for himself as an important modernist sculptor. However, the Second World War called a halt to these positive developments. Henry Moore left his teaching post and took up a commission as a war artist. It was in this capacity that he produced his deeply moving Shelter Drawings of Londoners crowding the city's underground stations sheltering from the Blitz. In the 1950s he created larger groups of figures. The prices for his works increased considerably and his fame as an international artist continued to grow. In later years he served as a trustee at both the Tate Gallery and the National Gallery and he was the recipient of a large number of prizes and honours.
Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me
I think they're okay
If they don't give me proper credit, I just walk away
They can beg and they can plead
But they can't see the light (That's right)
'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shopping in beautiful downtown Oatman, Arizona...
Materials: gouache on paper. Dimensions: 20.2 x 32.5 cm. Inscriptions: E Galien-Laloue' (lower left). Auctioned by Bonhams. Source: www.evernote.com/shard/s194/res/987ab1b8-dcd5-43ad-8f8a-6.... First seen on Facebook, posted by Christa Zaat
Just looking through some old files to find something to post now that I am back from holiday but not in a position to be my other self.
I do like the idea of animal print clothes but for some reason I never really thought much of this skirt.
#AbFav_TEXTURES
During the studio session with the materials I've collected over the years.
Not only is the feel important and the visual quality important, but I also like the smell of materials...
This is a shimmering piece of organza.
It's an ongoing process that you are witnessing, the creative struggles of a photographer, tee hee.
Photography has changed, one used to have ideas and be creative BEFORE, arrange and set everything up, do the shoot on the day, adrenaline pumping stuff... then... at last, the results, that was about it, maybe a little bit of retouching!
NOW, that's when it starts for most, no prints, a screen and a whole new skill: 'photoshopping', a lot more work than it used to be, from scanning my negs on 'high res' to finish, much more time-consuming than the wet darkroom, he?
I'm not complaining just stating a fact and reviewing a situation.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for your time, Magda, (*_*)
For mor of my other work visit here: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
portrait, woman, material, shimmering, organza, blond, black-background, studio, colour, design, horizontal, "Magda Indigo", eyes
Fibenol head office in Tallinn, Estonia.
Sustainable Materials for Net Zero Asphalt Pavements – at the Estonian Embassy in Stockholm
A gathering of innovators, scientists, and infrastructure leaders at the Embassy of Estonia in Stockholm explored how biomaterials can decarbonize road construction. Hosted with Estonian cleantech innovator Fibenol, the event showcased lignin-based solutions and cross-sector collaboration to accelerate Net Zero asphalt pavements and climate-smart cities.
CleanTech Region was advising and mentoring Fibenol through the senior advisory program by Tehnopol.
Fibenol: fibenol.com/
Photos and videos courtesy of Lars Ling. linktr.ee/larsling
© 2025 Lars Ling / CleanTech Region Group. All rights reserved.
Please make sure to try a DEMO before your purchase.
• Customizable via HUD
• Materials enabled
• Sizes: Altamura, Belleza, Niramyth, Signature, Slink
INFO: All the details are visible when Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) is enabled, as shown in the main picture.
To wear this product you need a bento enabled viewer.
Available on Marketplace
Material Circulante: CP 5601 + 6 Sorefame Renovada IC + 1 Corail
Hora: 16:55
Data: 15-06-2023
Local: Monte Novo - Palma (PK 66 - Variante de Alcácer)
Serviço: IC 672/3 (Faro --» Lisboa - Oriente)
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 43.733+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on Sunday 23rd October 2022
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1435493830 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 5,699th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty eight metres at 07:18am just as the light broke through the dawn on an Autumn morning, Saturday Octyober 22nd 2022 off Hythe Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see an adult male Carrion crow (Corvus corone), one of a pair who I have fed for three years now. Nicknamed Russell, he sits on an aerial opposite my front door, calling to Sheryl his wife, and Baboo, thier young'en from this year.
AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT CORVUS CORONE
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
By Paul Williams
Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.
In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.
In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.
Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.
In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.
In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.
The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug
In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.
In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.
In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:
1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.
2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.
3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.
4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.
6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!
7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.
8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events
Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....
There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.
The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.
Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.
Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone
Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!
They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow, a more steeply raked ratio from head to beak, and longer straighter beaks as well as a different plumage pattern. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.
A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans. Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.
Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.
Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!
Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades.Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!
They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.
In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN
Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.
Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the mechanisms as the mirror slapped back and forth.
The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....
I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....
On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.
A further revelation into the unseen sides to these beautiful birds came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever. Two of the youngsters headed off once large enough and strong enough.
I was privileged to be in close attendance as the last juvenile was brought down by the pair, taught to take food and then on a night in July, to soar and fly with it's mother in the evening sky as the light faded. She would swoop and twirl, and at regular intervals just touch the juvenile in flight with her wing tip feathers, as if to reassure it that she was close in attendance. What an amazing experience to view. A few days later, the juvenile, though now gaining independence and more than capable of tackling food scraps in the garden, was still on occasions demand feeding from it's mother who was now teaching him to take chicken breast, hotdogs or digestive biscuits and bury them in the garden beds for later delectation. The juvenile also liked to gather up peanuts and bury them in the grass. On one occasion I witnessed a pair of rumbunctious Pica Pica (Magpies), chasing the young crow on rooftops, leaping at him no matter how hard he tried to get away. He defended himself well and survived the attacks, much to my relief.
Into August and the last youngster remained with the adults, though now was very independent even though he still spent time with his parents on rooftops, and shared food gathering duties with his mum.Hotdog sausages were their favourite choice, followed by fish fingers and digestive biscuits which the adult male would gather up three at a time. In October, the three Crows were still kings of the area, but my time observing them was pretty much over as I will only put food out now for the birds in the winter months. The two adults are still here in December and now taking the food that I put out to help all birds survive in the winter months. They also have a pair of Magpies to compete with now.
Late February 2022 and Cheryl and Russell and their youngster are still with me, still dominant in the area and still taking raw chicken, hotdogs, biscuits and fatballs that I put out for them. Today I saw them mating for the first time this year in the tree and the cycle continues.
By October 2022 the pair had successfully reared a new baby who we nicknamed Baboo, and the other youngster flew the coup. The three no recognised our car returning from weekends away, and were enjoying sausages, hotdogs, raw chicken, fish and especially cheese, but life was hard as they aged with daily morning and evening tustles in the air with invaders and intruders hoping to take their land.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021 (Updated in October 2022)
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Nikon D850 Focal length 550mm Shutter speed: 1/40s Aperture f/11.0 iso640 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON in position 1 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering ISO Sensitivity: Auto 360 White balance on: Auto1 (5390k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Standard (Sharpening +3)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.36s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.61s
ALTITUDE: 58.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.90MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 40.00MB
PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.