View allAll Photos Tagged smartest
(Butorides virescens). Cameron County, Texas.
In my opinion, the Green Heron is one of our smartest, most beautiful birds.
Currently reading "The Genius of Birds", by Jennifer Ackerman. (Me, not the crow!) Turns out birds are smart (primate-level smart) and crows are among the smartest. Crows can make (not just use) tools. Hmmm. Double Lake, Sugar Land, Texas.
Albert Einstein was once asked:
"How does it feel to be the smartest man alive?"
He responded:
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Nikola Tesla."
Nikola Tesla had an estimated IQ falling somewhere between 160 and 310, depending on the measure.
Looking grandfatherly, low in a tree in Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Capuchin is a native of Costa Rica, reputably the "smartest" of the four indigenous species of monkeys.,
After humans, dolphins are the smartest creatures in the world, and their brain functions are associated with high intelligence.
Have you met 'your dolphin' yet? b.mikic
Braving a bomb cyclone to capture this shot might not have been my smartest idea, but it was certainly one of the most memorable. Battling intense hail, relentless winds, and bone-chilling cold, I stood there thinking, “This better be worth it.” Nature threw everything it had at me, but then, at just the right moment, the light broke through, turning the chaos into something truly magical. It took countless attempts and frozen fingers to get this shot, but sometimes, the wildest challenges make for the most rewarding results.
It's Crappily-reprocessed Old Photo Time again!
CN 2454 sits crewless at O'Hare Transfer on the Waukesha Sub. If I remember correctly, this was either 2011 or 2012, shot on my old PowerShot, and not exactly the smartest place to sit to "GTS".
The Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas that is!
Going through the archives and came across this shot. Didn't like the color version, didn't like the sepia treatment, but I did like it in mono!
This was back in 2007, a time when we could wander the streets at night without fearing the zombie hoards that have taken over the city. I don't recommend going out and trying to reproduce this today, it's not the safest or smartest thing to do!
The date and time in the EXIF are not correct. Back in the Olympus days I didn't set the time/date correctly on the camera, didn't think it would matter because I would certainly remember the exact time and date! Silly me....
Yesterday (Dec. 23 2020) we decided we needed to get out of the valley with its low level clouds and find the sun. So we went on an adventure which took us from the Okanagan Valley over Apex Mountain to the Similkameen Valley, providing the road was good. Apex is the local ski hill and getting up to the 2400 meter (7000 ft) level was easy on a paved and bare road. At the top there was lots of snow and blue sky just as I anticipated with lots of people skiing down the runs. The road looked good, so a decision was made to continue and go down the other side. Most of the road was plowed until it started to go down hill where it turns into a goat trail and not plowed. It's a narrow one lane trail with steep drop-offs and a good thing it is down hill to the valley bottom as there was no turning back. It might not have been the smartest decision I've made, but the scenery was beautiful.
There is a Chinese proverb from Confucius which states, “Never use a cannon to kill a mosquito." Is it the smartest thing to drive a enormous pickup truck to pickup burgers in a drive thru? How many times do we drive alone in a car designed for four or more? Do we really need to pick up our children after school when they could walk or take the school bus?
Photo | Stable Diffusion | Photoshop
We play this game in our house: "Who is the funniest cat we've ever had?" "Who is the smartest cat..." etc.
But we are careful the cats are out of earshot--just in case...
Otis will always be a contender for sweetest.
And most patient.
Taken during March when he is not in his smartest plumage, this male Reed Bunting still looked lovely perched amongst the reeds.
Thank you all for your kind responses.
I am too heartbroken to write more except to tell you that our beloved Isis passed away this week. We thought we would have her with us for much longer.
She was the smartest cat ever.
We miss her terribly.
There were much better photos of her, but this one seems to show her personality the best.
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Despite the fact that this is a bird that breeds in my backyard, it's apparently taken me until now to get a "Flickrable" photo of one. Gotta love Spring!
Wrens have to have one of the highest ratios of decibels to body weight. They can belt out the tunes! And Carolina Wrens are incredibly inquisitive; I've had them somehow get into my garage, my screened-in pool enclosure and my drainage pipes. One year they even made a nest in a wreath on my front door. Not the smartest location with boys constantly going in and out.
At the top of the Musée des Confluences, you'll find beautiful views on Lyon. Here, you can see the Rhône river and, to the right, the Part-Dieu towers.
On the banks of the Rhône river, we have the Autoroute du Sud (South Highway) that crosses Lyon through the heart of the city. This wasn't the smartest decision the mayor of Lyon made in the 1960s. It was a time when the car was king. Nowadays, it's mostly a hotbed of traffic jams and pollution.
On the horizon, you can clearly see Fourvière Hill with its basilica.
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Une belle vue sur Lyon
Au sommet du musée des Confluences, on découvre de belles vues sur Lyon. Ici, on voit le Rhône et à droite, les tours de la Part-Dieu.
En bord de Rhône, on a l'autoroute du Sud qui traverse Lyon au cœur de la ville. Ça n'a pas été la chose la plus intelligente qu'a décidé le maire de Lyon dans les années 60. C'était l'époque où la voiture était reine. De nos jours, c'est surtout un nid à embouteillages et de pollution.
A l'horizon, on distingue clairement la colline de Fourvière avec sa basilique.
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Lyon - Musée des Confluences - France
When we took the hike up to the glacier I just had to get a picture of the blue ice. The state of Alaska has made this area a state park and have really done a great job making the area accessible to the public. There was a small ice cave right next to where the melting water was coming off the mountain. It probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done this year, but I walked underneath the tons of ice to get this shot. The blue color was just amazing and I wanted to capture it. The light coming there the ice was perfect here. The ice is so dense in the glacier that it only reflects this color in the light spectrum. It was a beautiful sight to take in.
I saw this gentleman coming up the street to the left, so shot around this corner and waited for him.
I loved how distinguished he looked in his dark suit. Also I think the shot benefits from the lights being on red and no traffic!
The canine version of Lawrence of Arabia, big brother to Gary and Belle. Smartest dog we have EVER had! My heart ❤️
Nikola Tesla's Time Travel Machine.
Time Travel is a subject that has been always a fascination to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~~~~~~~~~~
Albert Einstein was once asked:
"How does it feel to be the smartest man alive?"
He responded:
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Nikola Tesla."
Nikola Tesla had an estimated IQ falling somewhere between 160 and 310, depending on the measure.
Aesthetic creative framing of a long-tailed black raven flying with a subtle under-lighting water backdrop.
One of the smartest animals on the planet and fascinating to watch, the Common Raven is an acrobatic flier, often doing rolls and somersaults in the air. In flight, it shows a diamond-shaped tail.
Ravens differ from crows in appearance by their larger bill, tail shape, flight pattern and by their large size. Ravens are as big as Red-tailed Hawks, and crows are about the size of pigeons.
To consider landing, let's start with flight.
Pheasants have intrigued me since I was a kid. They are not the smartest of birds. We had an outdoor cat which actually caught one and brought it home.
some questions have no answers.
some problems always stay unresolved.
but in the chaotic vast expansive
nightmarish descending nighttime
circus of sorrow, sometimes there is
a ray of hope-
sometimes there is a tiny light,
some stillness,
a ray, a beam,
an inverted shadow,
the opposite of opposite,
a handful of grace.
The Ring-necked Pheasant is not the smartest bird in the wild, it is amazing that they have not all been killed off by traffic. I had to stop twice to let this bird run back and forth on the road. Any normal vehicle would have run it down. Fortunately I managed to herd it across the road into a blueberry field.
Ravens are well without color but one of the smartest birds on the planet with some great feather patterns.
A pair of Ravens landed close to our truck when we were parked, so being the photographer I am, felt the need to snap a couple photos. The raven in the foreground had it's neck feathers puffed out. This is a sign of dominance to the other raven in the background.
Ravens are among the smartest of the bird family, able to comprehend and solve situations to their benefit. They also have over 30 distinctive sounds in their vocabulary.
Strange figure of Sector 10 he seems like he is from another time. Some say he is from Sector 8. He does look like one of those Meths.
"You see, power, real power, doesn't come to those who were born strongest or fastest or smartest. No, it comes to those who will do anything to achieve it." Silco
The year is 1972. I am stationed in Japan working in a communication center working as a technician. These three, Gene, Russell and Paul, were doing the same. They were electronic engineers in civilian life and probably the smartest people I have ever worked in the same room with. The car and video gear belonged to Russell. The box hanging off Gene's shoulder was the reel to reel video tape deck for the camera Paul is holding. In 1972 this is what portability in video gear looked like.
Donkeys by nature are a fun and curious lot. Tucker is no exception. The ranch that previously owned him thought of him as a pest and never even gave him a name. They were thrilled that I wanted him.
He is one of the smartest and most loving animals I've ever known. And he provides fertilizer for my garden.
His lips are prehensile and he frequently 'relocates' hoses, boards, rocks, tools, baskets of eggs, feed dishes, etc.
Here he is checking out the shovel for potential donkey uses. ( I should also point out his buddy, Finley the Barbados sheep, above his head in the first two frames).
I have tried to create the effect of a photo booth in this triptych.
Toby....... my Schnoodle. He is what is considered a "hybrid" dog. A cross between a Schnauzer and a Poodle. Toby is very hyper, but he's the smartest dog I've EVER had... and I've had a ton of togs! Oh...check out his L-O-N-G eyelashes! Toby is the dog that I used in my earlier "panning" shot. There is nothing in this world he loves better than chasing a ball.
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Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's smartest creatures, and is one of the few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror test. In addition to other members of the genus Pica, corvids considered as magpies are in the genera Cissa, Urocissa, and Cyanopica.
This was my Christmas present to myself this year. So since I have eye problems probably not the smartest choice, but too bad. I did it anyway. This is my first image with the new lens. Decided to try it out on my old D300 first. Can;t wait to play more.
🇮🇹 La cornacchia grigia
Most crows may not have the brightest plumage in the world, but when it comes to brain power, they’re some of the smartest animals on the planet.
📜Crows have a close association with people and frequently turn up in myths, folk songs and countryside lore. To the Native Americans, the raven was a trickster, to the Norse, a faithful companion of Odin, and to the Greeks, a messenger of Apollo.
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Depuis 2017, des « attaques » contre des bateaux se produisent régulièrement en Atlantique et en Méditerranée. Les orques se sont enfoncées dans les bateaux au point qu'elles ont coulé au moins quatre bateaux … 🤔
Imaginez être un adolescent très ennuyé qui traverse une poussée de croissance jusqu'à peser 16 tonnes. Ils n'ont pas de Play Stations sous l'eau, alors que doit faire une jeune orque ? Pas de chasse. Il y a eu une explosion de la population de thon rouge, de sorte que le groupe d'environ 40 orques ibériques, en danger critique d'extinction, n'a pas à courir après chaque repas qu'il repère.
En conséquence, nous disposons de plus de temps libre pour développer certains passe-temps. En tant que l’une des créatures les plus intelligentes de la planète, ce groupe curieux a besoin d’une certaine stimulation mentale …
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Since 2017, there have been regular “attacks” on boats in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Orcas have been ramming themselves into boats to the point that they actually sunk at least four boats …🤔
Imagine being an extra bored teen that's going through a growth spurt to weigh 16 tons. They don't have Play Stations underwater so what's a young orca to do? Not hunting. There's been an explosion in the bluefin tuna population, so the pod of about 40 critically endangered Iberian orcas don't have to chase after every meal they spot.
As a result, there's been extra free-time for developing some hobbies. As one of the smartest creatures on the planet, this curious bunch needs some mental stimulation …
Crédit : Christian/ Dépôtphotos
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The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), also known as the African savanna elephant and bush elephant, is the larger of the two species of African elephant. The other species is the closely related forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).
The African bush elephan is too the largest living terrestrial animal, normally reaching 6 to 7.3 m in length and 2,4 to 3.5 m in height at the shoulder, and weighing between 2,400 to 8,000 kg.
The animal is characterized by its large head; two large ears that cover its shoulders and radiate excess heat; a large and muscular trunk; two prominent tusks, which are well-developed in both sexes.
African bush elephants are herbivorous.
The African Elephant is an intelligent animal. Experiments with reasoning and learning show that they are the smartest ungulates together with their Asian cousins.
This picture is taken at Ouwehands Dierenpark, Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands
De savanneolifant (Loxodonta africana) is de grootste en bekendste van de twee Afrikaanse olifanten (Loxodonta).
Voorheen werd de verwante bosolifant (Loxodonta cyclotis) beschouwd als een ondersoort van de savanneolifant, maar tegenwoordig worden de twee dieren gezien als aparte soorten.
De savanneolifant is het grootste landdier. Een bul weegt tussen de 3500 en 8000 kg, een koe 2400 tot 4500 kg. Ze worden 240 tot 350 cm hoog en 6 tot 7,3 m lang.
Zijn dikke huid is lichtgrijs tot zwartgrijs of bruin van kleur.
De oren zijn veel groter als bij de niet verwante Aziatische olifant.
De grote oren zijn rijk doorbloed, waardoor ze het lichaam kunnen afkoelen. Veel warmte kan via de oren ontsnappen als de olifant met deze wappert. Zowel mannetjes als vrouwtjes hebben grote, naar voren gebogen slagtanden. De poten zijn hoog en zuilvormig. De slurf van de savanneolifant is lang en flexibel, en kan gebruikt worden als vijfde ledemaat.
De savanneolifant kwam vroeger in bijna geheel Afrika voor, met uitzondering van de droogste plekken van de Sahara en in de regenwoudgordel van West- en Centraal-Afrika. In het regenwoud leeft de verwante bosolifant. Soms leven beide soorten naast elkaar. Tegenwoordig is de savanneolifant uitgestorven in Noord-Afrika en leeft hij op slechts een handvol plaatsen in Zuid- en West-Afrika.
Hij kan overleven in alle landschappen, van woestijnen tot regenwouden, van kusten tot gebergten, maar hij is vooral algemeen op savanne en grasland.
Savanneolifanten ontwortelen bomen, graven waterputten en trappen de begroeiing plat, waardoor heel nieuwe leefgebieden ontstaan en bos verandert in savanne.
Olifanten zijn niet kieskeurig en eten zowat alles wat plantaardig is.
Deze foto is genomen in Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen.
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All rights reserved. Copyright © Martien Uiterweerd. All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission.
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IMPORTANT: for non-pro users who read the anecdote on a computer, just enlarge your screen to 120% (or more), then the full text will appear below the photo with a white background - which makes reading so much easier.
My best photos (mostly not on Flickr) are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
The photo above is far from perfect - believe me, I'm aware. But I'm still very proud of the shot: because getting it was such an excruciatingly long process that it drove me to the brink of insanity. I'm afraid the anecdote that follows is equally long (though hopefully only half as excruciating 😉), but especially for birders it might be interesting.
To provide some context: In the winter of '23 I started feeding the birds in my garden on a huge tree trunk which I'd dragged underneath the fig tree right opposite my wooden shed. And it was through a small hole in that shed's wall that I was then able to photograph my unsuspecting avian guests from a distance of not even two meters (that's a story in and of itself, you can read all about here: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52994208987/in/datepo... )
Using the shed as a blind was a game-changer for me; I hadn't managed to produce more than a single usable bird photo in the years before, and now within only a few weeks I succeeded in capturing most of the regular visitors to my garden (nuthatch, blue tit, great tit, marsh tit, dunnock, Italian sparrow and many more) up close and in great detail - yet I wasn't satisfied.
The reason for that was simple: the most beautiful bird in the neighborhood - a Eurasian jay - had so far eluded my camera. I was hell-bent on capturing that fella, but he stubbornly and consistently refused to play along. I'm aware not all jays of the species Garrulus glandarius are that difficult to photograph, but unlucky for me, mine was a regular diva and obvious VIB (that's short for Very Important Bird - in case you wondered 😉), and he behaved as such.
On the few occasions that Mr. Jay did grace my garden with his presence - and I could observe this through a window from the house - he would fly onto a branch of the fig tree right above my buffet for birds, sit there for maybe twenty seconds contemplating what was on display below, only to then fly away again (and I swear I could see him wrinkle his nose - or rather beak - before he took off 😉).
To be fair, it probably wasn't just the menu that didn't convince him; I'm pretty sure this jay knew something fishy (or worse: human) was going on in the shed, and my sunflower seeds and peanuts - which he could probably also get from birdhouses nearby where no paparazzi were lurking - just weren't good enough for him to be willing to take a risk.
Naturally I also tried other delicacies, ranging from fresh apples to grapes to raisins and other dried fruit, but nothing worked; Mr. VIB remained suspicious, which was more than a little frustrating.
Now at this point it might be worth mentioning what probably every birder already knows, namely that Eurasian jays are incredibly clever. If they don't want to have their picture taken and you insist, well, then it becomes a battle of wills between you and the smartest guy in the woods.
It becomes a game of chess, but one where you're up against a grandmaster: only you don't know it yet (unbeknownst to many, every insane asylum comes with a special wing that is reserved for wildlife photographers who tried to get a jay photo - the so called "Jay Wing" - where only the toughest and most experienced psychiatrists are allowed to treat the poor souls 😉).
I had no luck with the jay all winter, but I wasn't ready to give up (nor was I ready to have myself admitted to the "Jay Wing" - yet 😉). Once spring arrived, I hoped to attract Mr. Bluewings with a special treat. Growing up near a fruit orchard, I knew how much Eurasian jays loved cherries, and in May I could finally get the first fresh ones - still imports - from the store.
That timing was crucial, because the cherry trees around my village didn't bear any ripe fruit yet that could have competed with mine - though they would be soon. So there was now this very small window of time where I was able to offer our local "star" the kind of exclusive VIB-treatment that he clearly demanded.
And it worked... almost. It took a few days, during which the jay probably observed the tree trunk from afar (I imagined him with binoculars, in a trench-coat and with a fedora hat like a private eye from the 1940s 😉 ), but eventually he couldn't resist the juicy bribe, and he indeed came to collect the cherries.
The only problem was: the clever devil timed his raids on the buffet so perfectly that I was never in the shed when he did it. It was crazy, but I never even saw him from the house; once the cherries started disappearing, I just assumed it had to be him, because the other birds showed zero interest in anything other than the nuts and the seeds.
For almost a week the same story kept repeating itself (with slight variations): sometime during the day - and never at the same time - the cherries were being collected. The thief never took more than four or five, and it always happened within a time frame of around ten minutes (this I deducted because I checked the tree trunk at pretty close intervals) - and without exception during a moment when I wasn't there to witness it.
By now it was obvious that the jay had the house and the shed under constant surveillance, probably from a high vantage point up in the trees outside my garden where he could even see me through the windows, while I couldn't see him. It drove me nuts: the meticulousness and stealth with which this fella went about his cherry-thieving business were simply unreal!
He might have been a diva, but he showed incredible discipline: once he'd had his fill, he didn't come back, and the rest of the cherries remained untouched until the evening. It was hopeless: if I wasn't willing to observe the tree trunk non-stop or hire a private detective (and I admit I considered the latter for a moment 😉), it was clear I wouldn't see as much as a tail feather. But then I had an idea.
You have to know that I didn't want the bird food to be visible in my photos, so right from the start, I had put three somewhat photogenic looking logs of firewood in a little triangle on the tree trunk, and I'd always "hidden" the bird food in their midst (a bit of a cheat, I know, but all's fair in love and photography 😁).
This meant that while I could see those logs through the window from my house, I couldn't see the cherries and thus never had a visual clue when they started to go missing. The next day I put a single cherry on one of the logs, the remaining ones I put in the space between, like I had done before.
I went back into the house and made myself comfortable with my laptop on the sofa next to the window. Every once in a while I would turn my head to see whether the cherry was still there. After maybe two hours, it finally happened: A moment before I had still seen its silhouette clearly, and now the cherry had disappeared.
I jumped up and quickly (but silently) snuck into the shed where my camera was already mounted on the tripod and ready. The adrenaline started to kick in: I had no idea if my plan would work. The logic behind my idea was: if the jay went for the most exposed cherry first and was then busy for a minute or so eating it somewhere, maybe he wouldn't notice me sneak into the shed.
The suspense was nearly unbearable; sweat was dripping from my brow into my eye, and I didn't dare to move, for fear the slightest noise (like my clothes rustling) would give my position away to the jay. I looked through the viewfinder, eyes squinted, frozen like a statue, for what felt like eternity (but in reality couldn't have been more than a minute or two), when out of nowhere he appeared: the master thief materialized on one of the logs like some sort of magic trick.
And yes: it was the jay - and he looked magnificent. He made a quick movement with his head, and then he was gone. I was stunned. It all had happened so fast that I hadn't even tried to get him in focus - I just stood there, almost shocked. I had never had a chance to get a shot. A minute later, while I was still silently cursing myself, my prized bird appeared again. I fumbled on my camera - he was gone before I could do so much as adjust the direction of the lens.
I started cursing loudly now - I just couldn't help it - but the jay didn't seem to mind. Within the next three minutes he came back two more times, and all I had to show for in the end was a perfectly focused - albeit entirely birdless - photo of the logs on the tree trunk (well, that and some very nice clumps of my own hair in my hands 😆). I hoped against hope he would appear one more time, but he didn't; he'd taken his usual five cherries, and the raid was over for the day.
I have to say that despite my anger (mostly at myself), I was impressed: the speed with which my adversary acted was incredible - no wonder I had never seen him. But there was simply no way I could shoot this lightning fast creature the way I usually do, which is by selecting the smallest focus and then only aiming for the eye. If I wanted to capture Mr. Bluewings at all, I had to switch to auto and continuous shooting mode, hoping one of the photos would end up being in focus.
I enacted my new strategy the next day, and thankfully the trick with the single exposed cherry on the log worked again: the jay went for it first, and I was again able to quickly sneak into the shed, apparently undetected. As had happened the day before, Master Garrulus glandarius appeared out of nowhere - and again was gone before I could even think of pressing the trigger.
But after the third attempt, my timing was finally right; I aimed and shuttered in rapid fire as if I were working a machine gun; the camera went "trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" (yes, that's my best imitation of that sound 😂 ), and I could see immediately how that noise irritated the jay. Weirdly enough, he seemed to be much more bothered by the camera noise than he was by my constant muttering and swearing.
This time, he didn't come back for a fifth and final cherry. But I couldn't have cared less (and as a nature lover it embarrasses me to admit this); I was in a reckless, almost feverish "hunter mode", and the only thing that mattered now was my photographic prize.
I was euphoric, because I knew I had captured the jay. Still in the shed, I immediately went through the photos, fingers trembling with excitement (I know this must sound exaggerated and very ridiculous to most people, but I bet you photographers out there know exactly what I'm talking about 😄).
My euphoria dissipated quicker than you could utter the words "Jay Wing". Even on the small camera screen it became instantly apparent the pictures were unusable. They were out of focus at best and a total blur at worst. I scanned my surroundings for a suitable object or surface where I could bash my head in. I wanted to scream (and maybe I did - my neighbors looked at me funny later that day, but then they often do that 😂).
So far it was 3:0 for the bird. I had failed at every attempt, and he had outplayed me on every level. To make matters worse, I didn't dare to apply the continuous shooting mode again: the noise was just too loud, and I was afraid I would scare the jay away for good (plus the results - due to my ineptitude - weren't likely to improve).
I was used to photographing reptiles, insects and roe deer, and none of them moved as fast as the Eurasian jay: I needed more time. Just a few seconds would have been enough, but I realized the clever bird would never give me those. The situation seemed hopeless - until I had an unexpected Eureka moment. All of a sudden I knew how I might get an extra second (or two) with Mr. VIB (provided he did come back after my loud shuttering).
The following morning I went to the tree trunk once more, and again I put a single cherry on one of the logs, but the rest - you know: the ones that I always put into the middle of this log triangle - I covered with some thin twigs. Not too many - after all, the bait had to remain visible underneath the twigs - but enough that a single picking motion wouldn't be enough to snatch a cherry.
"Your move, Mr. Jay," I thought as I went into the house. I lay down on the sofa, then I waited. The jay didn't come. All day long I regularly peered out the window: the silhouette of the lone cherry on the log remained in place, like some weird little statue, mocking me.
I became convinced the intense camera noise the previous day had disgruntled the jay to the point where he'd had enough of my shenanigans. Hard as it was, I had to get ready to accept the fact that my trophy shot of this beautiful bird just wasn't gonna happen. Then, sometime during the late afternoon, I suddenly noticed the cherry was gone. Ten seconds later I was in the shed - and ready.
The look on the jay's face when he landed on one of the logs was almost comical. He apparently hadn't noticed the twigs before, and his short moment of hesitation was all I needed to get a first shot. He heard the noise and looked right at me - click! - and that was my second shot, which nicely captured the bewildered look on his face (you can see that photo here: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52994208987/in/datepo... ).
It only took Mr. Bluewings two seconds to adjust to the new situation; he quickly threw out a few twigs with his beak, picked up a cherry - click! (my third shot, that you can see above) - and off he flew. But it was clear the jay knew exactly he was being photographed, and he didn't like it one bit. The annoyed expression on his face had been unmistakable: he looked like Sean Penn when he's confronted with a paparazzo.
Meanwhile I was over the moon: it had worked (and a quick check on the tiny camera screen confirmed this); I had at least two acceptable photos. The few extra seconds the twigs bought me had done the trick.
All's well that ends well, as the saying goes, and if the 'Tale Of The Jay' were to conclude here (and it could), this would indeed be a happy ending. After all, I had eventually outsmarted the clever bird and gotten my desired photos. But there is a short epilogue to the story, and I believe it's worth telling (and if you made it to this point, you might as well continue reading 😉).
You see, I was only able to pull off the "single-cherry/twigs strategy" one more time (the very next day, and you can see those photos here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/eurasian-jay-garrulus-glan... ) - and then never again. Two days later, the single cherry was still visible on the log at nightfall, and so I assumed the jay hadn't come. But when I went to check - big surprise! - five of the other cherries were gone.
"Well," I thought, "That's pure coincidence." In my mind there was no way the jay could have realized the exposed cherry on the log disappearing was my visual clue that his stealth "attack" had started: no animal was that smart. And yet I have no other explanation, because believe it or not: he never went for the single cherry again. Ever.
In all my subsequent attempts, my visual clue remained untouched, while the jay cheekily collected the other cherries. And soon after, the cherry trees around the village were starting to bear ripe fruit, and the jay's visits to my garden stopped. In fact for the entire remainder of the year, there were no more photos for me of Mr. Garrulus glandarius.
So in the end - who REALLY won this game of chess between me and the jay? If you ask me, I'd have to call it a draw (and that's probably still being generous to myself) - but you be the judge. 😉
P.S. This year I photographed and filmed a Eurasian jay in my garden (I have no idea if it was the same fella as last year), and this clip here might give you an idea just how quick these guys are: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA9s_bciA-Y - I timed the cherry theft: it takes the jay not even two seconds to land, snatch his prize and take off again (you can also watch it in slow-mo), so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. 😂
Many thanks for looking and reading, and have a wonderful weekend everyone 🙏 😊 ❤ - and as always, let me know what you think in the comments (I'd be particularly interested if anyone had similar experiences with jays or other clever corvids - or was outsmarted by any other wild animal the way I was).
Suggestion, don't go down the access road.. K596 with a SD40-2 and a SD40-3 pull their 97 loads of slabs from AK Dearborn that are headed for AK Middleton, around the south east connection at Deshler. I shot all three sets of CPL's between the diamond and South Deshler. It wasn't the smartest move as the last 200' of access road was a disaster and I had to literally say sorry to my car for putting it through that, but I got the shot! with the roads a shitty as they were I was able to beat them to only 2 other spots along the route after this and the train sat in Lima until after dark.
Lothian MCV 90 lines up with Edinburgh Coach Lines MCV SN19FJA. How wears it better? I still say Lothian's MCV fleet are the smartest of the maufacturers. 24th January 2022.
Cutza, aka Mata Hari, the happiest and smartest dog in the world, bionic on some spots, survivor by definition, passed away quietly in her sleep this night, after almost 15 years since she found us.
I think she would scold me a bit for saying this, but I would ask God to give us a little more respite because our heart is filled with paw prints and the courtyard is empty of joys.
The other day she gently took me by the jeans and led me from the gate to her bowl.
I will miss her happy barking so much!
Thank you for finding us, Cutzi, we love you forever!
Thank you for your friendship and support, immensely appreciated in this last sad year.
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My routine normally is me getting up around 5:10 and going to the gym. On Tuesday, I felt a pop in my calf muscle and then pain but I toughed out the rest of the workout, probably not the smartest move. A lovely bruise has now formed so I've taken the rest of the week off. Well rested but feeling like a lump. Looks like I'm in the kitchen again today. After waking, I walked downstairs and saw the window light spilling onto the counter and I knew I wanted to compose something using the natural light.
The question is though, will I or won't I cook these eggs for breakfast?
Our sweet Annie is a McNab Shepherd. Smartest dog we have ever been lucky enough to part of our family. These dogs always need a job and on this very hot day in Oklahoma we thought cleaning the lake of unwanted debris was a good chore..
I was layinig ON the ice to get this picture. Which in hindsight already having a bad cough was probably NOT the smartest thing to do. Feeling pretty sick still today. :( The ice filled waves made a soothing slushy sound as they hit against the shore.
Not quite sure why my editing always makes the photo look more painting like than photo like....but it is what it is. /shrug