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When I made this image back in October of 2015 I had no idea it would turn out to be so prophetic! This was shot in a public pit toilet along the "Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail," Wanship, Summit County, Utah.
We seem to have a lot of Say's Phoebes here this winter. A nice little flycatcher with a burnt orange undercarriage. (In case you're wondering about the title, Phoebe was the Titan goddess of prophetic radiance. I know it's a stretch, but I struggled for an apt title this morning)
This photo has become prophetic! I made it in 2014. A copy of the first ship of the Russian fleet (data from modern history), built by Peter 1. Five years later, in 2019, at the Marine Parade in St. Petersburg on the day of the Marine Fleet, a full-size copy of this sailboat will be released in the Neva ... But the barrel on the photo is both a symbol of a change in reconstruction technologies and a hint of future events that begin with the events of this week ... «Poltava”
By the way, photos of these ships taken on the appropriate dates, you can see in my album St. Petersburg! Enjoy watching....
Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.
Lord Byron
Pico do Arieiro, Madeira
How is going to assemble the prophetic Oleg
Revenge unwise khozars
Their villages and fields for a violent foray
He condemned swords and fires;
With his team, in Constantinople armor,
The prince on the field rides on the right horse.
'Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.'
Berlin, East Side Gallery, Painting on the Berlin Wall made by Ana Leonor Rodrigues in the year 1990.
Das Denkmal East Side Gallery in Berlin-Friedrichshain ist eine dauerhafte Open-Air-Galerie auf dem längsten noch erhaltenen Teilstück der Berliner Mauer in der Mühlenstraße zwischen dem Berliner Ostbahnhof und der Oberbaumbrücke entlang der Spree.
Im Frühjahr 1990, nach der Öffnung der Berliner Mauer, wurde dieses Teilstück von 118 Künstlern aus 21 Ländern auf einer Länge von 1316 Metern bemalt. Die Künstler kommentierten in gut einhundert Gemälden auf der ehemals Ost-Berlin zugewandten Seite der Mauer mit den unterschiedlichsten künstlerischen Mitteln die politischen Veränderungen der Jahre 1989/90. Wegen städtebaulicher Maßnahmen ist sie mittlerweile nicht mehr durchgehend erhalten, und anstelle der Originale von damals existieren heute nur noch die im Jahr 2009 entstandenen Repliken.
Die eigentliche Grenze bildete an dieser Stelle das Kreuzberger Ufer der Spree. Die Galerie befindet sich an der so genannten Hinterlandmauer, die das Grenzgebiet nach Ost-Berlin hin abschloss. Längs dieser Grenzanlagen verlief mit der Mühlenstraße eine der Hauptausfallstraßen in Richtung Süden. Aufgrund der räumlichen Gegebenheiten waren die zuletzt üblichen Betonröhren bereits hier aufgesetzt, so dass die Hinterlandmauer in diesem Bereich untypischerweise optisch, aber etwas überhöht, der äußeren Mauer glich.
The East Side Gallery memorial in Berlin-Friedrichshain is a permanent open-air gallery on the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall in Mühlenstrasse between Berlin Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke along the Spree.
In spring 1990, after the opening of the Berlin Wall, this section was painted by 118 artists from 21 countries over a length of 1316 meters. The artists used a wide variety of artistic means to comment on the political changes of 1989/90 in more than hundred paintings on the side of the Wall that was formerly facing East Berlin. Due to urban development measures, it is no longer fully preserved, and instead of the originals from then, only the replicas from 2009 exist today.
or: the Rise of the Titan
Art Installation by 3 young Japanese Artists took place at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya District, on July 16th from 6AM till 8PM.
2021, Yoyogi Park,
Tokyo Japan
too easy- right? and i find it very prophetic and symbolic that the dentist drives a shiny white SUV. it appears that this used to be a tree that was cut down, carved and then painted. maybe it met a mishap and the tree surgeon suggested it be "shortened"?
ANSH scavenger20 "An interesting, unique or old business sign"
It was prophetic showing a picture of Marloes yesterday, as when we arrived at Martin's Haven , we were informed the boats to Skomer weren't sailing as the winds were too strong. At least the puffins would have a rest from all that posing. We popped down the road to have a wonderful two hours all alone on Marloes beach. This beach always has special memories, as it was part of our first holiday together, before we were married forty years ago. It was a magical morning, and luckily I'd thrown in my wide angle lens . I probably enjoyed taking shots of a deserted beach more than I would following a long procession of Puffin snappers. Do you remember the first time is by Pulp.
“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.”
Lord Byron
(I was so surprised to find this meadow of flowers today down the street from my house still thriving in forty degree weather! I just had to stop and capture it before the winter ate it all up.)
Location: Earth
Unearthed 312 solar cycles ago by explorers from Centauri Prime, this monumental figure is believed to have represented a powerful solar deity from ancient human civilization. Archaeological evidence suggests that it held deep cultural and religious significance. Positioned on its own sacred island, scholars believe the figure may have symbolized a solar deity, owing to the radiant spikes encircling the head—a likely representation of the sun’s power. The torch, interpreted as an extension of the sun itself, may have been central to rituals of illumination or renewal.
The inscription on the tablet remains undeciphered, though it is hypothesized to be an incantation or prophetic text. Some theories suggest it could have been associated with apocalyptic beliefs, possibly a chant invoking the end of the human age.
Interpretation remains speculative, as much of human culture has been lost to time.
A Great Man Once Said...
The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself.
He Just Forgot To Add, And Stupid. We Should Be Scared Shitless Of Stupid.
Quite a prophetic picture, with a W9 MMC behind representing the future of W6…
A lot of MMCs are already out, so if you want the PDLs get 'em quick!
Personal scan of a double page spread from the opening section of Nostradamus' Prophecies. Circa 1669.
Image released with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. For the credit requirement, you can cite my name Nicolas Raymond or Bold Frontiers. Please also include a link to this image on my Flickr account whenever possible.
Resolution: 3000 x 2700 pixels
Amazonia
by Alessandro Avanzini.
Chico Mendes' words were prophetic: “At first I thought I was fighting to save the rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the rainforest of the Amazon. Now I understand that I am fighting for humanity. " We listen to the people of the forest who are telling us: " I'm here!"
Thousands of indigenous people from Brazil are forced to flee their homes or worse to die, as well as much of the local fauna.
This float is designed to draw attention to this dramatic situation that no one really seems to really want to remedy.
A survival hug between a young indigenous and a sloth indicates that the time has come for action before it's too late.
Back in September 2014, seeing a KCS GEVO leading a train across Minnesota on the CP was a rare treat. Not so much anymore. I still would've rather seen that former SOO SD60 on the point.
Ray Walker and Sally Blane in CITY LIMITS (1934)
Walker plays a journalist who is constantly bullied by a typical city editor into sending pictures with his stories. Here, near the end of the movie, he's on the phone demanding pictures again. So Walker takes one of himself and his love interest, using the phone.
in Taichung city . Tanzi . Taiwan 攝於台中潭子
www.ngabo.org/prophetic/seasons/newmoon/moonred.htm
紅色月亮一般是發生月食的時候會出現的。這是因為濃厚的大氣層把紫、藍、綠、黃光都吸收掉了，只剩下紅色光可以穿透過來。月全食時的紅月亮也是同樣的道理，大氣層將紅色光折射到月球表面上，所以我們仍然能看到在地影里，紅紅的月亮掛在天空中。
The scientific discovery of astronomy that have studied the behavior of the moon, declares that the atmosphere (which is the moral environment, the evil or divine presence that contains gases and emotional feelings) which surrounds and governs the earthly atmosphere in the Earth, seems to be affecting the appearance of the moon by turning the moon into a bloody red moon.
When the sun rays that comes from the sun light goes through the atmosphere of the Earth, they seem to carry with them the environment of gases, air, carbon dioxide that people breath out, emotions, and the pollution of the earth into the atmosphere of the moon, and when it reaches the moon, then the appearance of the moon turns into blood (red moon).
“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.”
Lord Byron
A rainy Saturday does have some perks. Hope this was a “prophetic ray” and that all of you have a terrific and colorful Sunday!
I see the future, and it looks strange
I see the Beast, the world’s in change
Freedom is gone; it’s the end of days
Digital enslavement, it’s the new craze
Sky’s burning red, cities turned to dust
Future’s uncertain, the BEAST we trust
Prophetic Revelation, staring in our eyes
Wars, Famines, plagues, and battle cries
This prophetic photograph of Adriano J. Peg, Sylvia Brown, and William "Long Shoe" Scroggins was taken by a Manigotapi High School photographer for the annual yearbook. Adriano had a crush on Sylvia, who had a crush on William. A week after William disappeared from PE class, Sylvia had a vision of him resting underwater in an alligator hole in the Manigotapi swamp. Unfortunately the swamp was large and the alligators were plenty. The only thing that was found of William Scroggins was a lone brogan shoe perched on a cypress knee deep in the swamp.
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I took this photo when I was about 12 or 13 years old. This was my brother, Shawn, when he was about 5. I told him to pose and he decided to pose as if he was praying. I don't think either of us had any idea how prophetic that photo would be.
My brother gave his life to Christ when he was just a little boy, about 9 years of age. I had come to the Lord about a year earlier, when I was 16. Since he was a child, Shawn has had a passion for the things of God, and definitely became a man of prayer, and eventually, did ministerial work. He has served as a pastor, and even had a radio show for a while, trying to reach out to the community in which we live.
Now, I am asking for prayers for my brother. Last night when I got home from work, he was waiting in the driveway, and asked me to bring him to the hospital. He was short of breath, gasping, and said he had had a coughing "fit" and coughed up blood. We rushed to the emergency room, and thanks to a dear friend who is a nurse, said the necessary things to get him in ahead of other people. She felt that he might have a pulmonary embolism, and told me he HAD to get in there right away or it could be fatal. So, she told me to threaten to call Morgan & Morgan, a local law firm that specializes in law suits! Sure enough, they took him in next, and since some people had been there for hours, that was pretty impressive!
We were there for hours, waiting for a bed to free up, and for tests to be run. His oxygen levels were low, and his blood pressure was incredibly high. I can't tell you how frightening it is to sit in a waiting room, helpless, while your kid brother is in a life-threatening situation. I couldn't help but feel that somehow this should have been me, since I was older. So many emotions flooded in, all the things we'd been through, and the petty squabbles that seemed ridiculous in the light of the situation. Finally, my middle nephew arrived and went back to see him, while I stayed in the lobby with about a dozen people, some who were crazy and having psychotic episodes, and others who were in pain but not complaining. It was like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone!
When my other nephew arrived, he went back, which meant I couldn't, so I received updates through texts. My nurse friend came to the ER and brought me a sandwich, because I hadn't eaten all day and it was 11:30 at night. I was so grateful for that sandwich!
I finally got to go back and see Shawn again. He was a little loopy from the meds, and was getting a headache from the nitro they'd given him. I learned his BP had been 203/ 123! His oxygen levels were up, and the xrays and tests were showing no clots in his lungs. They then suspected a heart attack. He had had no pain, though, so the other thought was that this was all because of elevated blood pressure. We won't know until morning what else they will do, and if he will have to have a heart catheterization. Thankfully, the BP is back down, and he is receiving blood thinner to keep him from clotting.
Needless to say, it's been stressful and harrowing, but Shawn has been in good spirits, making the jobs of the hospital staff a pleasure. They love him, and it's easy to see that he has such a heart for people. Now, people need to have a heart for him. I am requesting prayers and good thoughts for my brother so he will be out of danger and back home soon. It's hard for me to look at my 6' 3 1/2" brother now and see this little boy in the picture, but I still remember all the years that have gone by, and hope for many more to come. Please pray.
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**** This frame was chosen on Saturday 26th June 2021 to appear on FLICKR EXPLORE (Highest Ranking: #325. This is my 203rd photograph to be selected.
I am really thrilled to have a frame picked and most grateful to every one of the 39.330+ Million people who have visited, favorited and commented on this and all of my other photographs here on my FLICKR site. *****
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So, let's get one thing straight from the outset.
I LOVE CARRION CROW.
There, I've said it. Words I use to describe these amazing birds would include stunning, beautiful, bold, magnificent, intelligent and fantastic, loving, tender, victimized.
Right now I have a resident pair of Carrion crows who have decided that my garden is theirs, and are playing a game of cat and mouse with a pair of cheeky Magpies (Pica pica) for dominance and food rights. The male crow actually flies in and 'wings' the magpies to make them leave, an incredible sight to witness. It's an honour and a privilege to be able to win their trust and they have given me so much pleasure this year being able to get within a few feet of them, to photograph and feed them, and they have reinforced my already deep admiration for a bird that is brimming with beauty, intelligence, confidence and also surrounded by myths, legend and prejudice.
So let's begin with a look back over history.
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
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. 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 frames 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 final observation 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.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty three metres at 11:05am on a beautiful morning on Saturday 29th May 2021, off Hythe Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see a large adult female Carrion crow (Corvus corone) patrolling a garden and gathering up food scraps in front of a red Azalea, a passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 600mm Shutter speed: 1/800s Aperture f/6.3 iso400 Tripod mounted with Gimbal head. Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (4128 x 2752). JPeg basic (14 bit uncompressed) AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4550K) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3DG OS HSM SPORTS. Lee SW150 MKI filter holder with MK2 light shield and custom made velcro fitting for the Sigma lens. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch.Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Manfrotto MT057C3-G Carbon fiber Geared tripod 3 sections. Neewer Carbon Fiber Gimble tripod head 10088736 with Arca Swiss standard quick release plate. Neewer 9996 Arca Swiss release plate P860 x2.Jessops Tripod bag. 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.
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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.23s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.45s
ALTITUDE: 63.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 91.2MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 38.40MB
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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.