I once had an old economics professor who was raised on a ranch, who maintained that crows could count to seven. His evidence was that if up to 7 hunters hid in some woods as crows watched, the crows would not come near till all of the hunters had come out and left the area, but if 8 or more went in, the crows would lose track after the 7th emerged. I'd guess this is folklore, but...y'never know.
Crows have a long history in stories told by the original people of America. The ones here before Columbus the Terrible was even a gleam in his mama's eye. I can't think of any at the moment but I have a book somewhere. I'm amazed by how they will chose a tree and congregate by the hundreds all talking at the same time. I wonder what that's about. Avian filibustering perhaps?
I do have a passion for corvids. Thanks for this post.
Counting crows:
1 Crow bad news
2 Crows myrth
3 Crows a wedding
4 Crows a birth
5 Crows for riches
6 Crows a thief
7 Crows a journey
8 Crows for grief
9 Crows a secret
10 Crows for sorrow
11 Crows for love
12 Crows good day after.
I got the "counting crows" from the following website (I have purchased two of his photos, and intend to purchase more in the future):
http://www.clcookphoto.com/crows.htm
I encourage you to explore his entire site. He's a wonderful photographer.
Huizil-- Great story. DPR said he's heard the same thing about the counting.
JSK-- If only we could get the filibustering crows over to Congress next week to teach those republicans a lesson. A couple of thousand crows flying around the chamber cawing cawing would make my day. Take that, Priscilla Owens.
CCorax-- That site is magnificent. Gorgeous. I think the photographer may live within 100 miles of us. We may write him a note. Thanks for the link.
There is a free publication called the Corvi Chronicle that I subscribe to. Lotsa crow lore and anecdote. You can google to find it.
I like the hawks, myself. They can sure put the scare into chickens, though.
Can I just mention Heckle & Jeckle?!
Oh ok I'll throw in Black Crow Blues (Dylan).
I like fish crows... the sound they make.
Nice pic!
Pablo--thanks for the link. great site.
oldwhitelady--chickens=prey. they don't know much, but they do know that.
Rurality--Heckle & Jeckle!!!LOL fish crows? must investigate.
Oh, yeah, and my oldest possession (as in: "thing I've owned the longest time") is a tiny plastic crow from a bottle of Old Crow whisky? bourbon? The tooth fairy gave it to me.
And the wonderful folk song Twa Corbies:
As I was walking all alane
I heard twa corbies making a mane:
The tane unto the tither did say-o,
'Whar sall we gang and dine the day-o?'
Epistle to be Left in the Earth
by Archibald MacLeish
. . . It is colder now,
there are many stars,
we are drifting
North by the Great Bear,
The leaves are falling,
The water is stone in the scooped rocks,
To southward
Red sun grey air:
The crows are
Slow on their crooked wings,
the jays have left us:
Long since we passed the flares of Orion.
Each man believes in his heart he will die.
Complete poem here.
The raven is a very important character in the folklore of the Kwakiutl, whose ancient lands you occupy if I am not mistaken. Does anybody know the story?
I'm not sure which of the northwestern people this tale belongs to, but Raven brought the sun to the world. Is that the one you mean, cervantes?
From Shakespeare:
For he shall make thee think thy swan a crow. Romeo and Juliet
Light thickens, and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood. Macbeth
A couple of crow stories.
When I was much younger I owned (not really the right word - perhaps provided housing for would be better) several crows. They were birds that had been shot in the wing and in each case the wing had to be amputated so they were no longer able to fly. Which is how I ended up with them. They are really interesting creatures - but do not do well in captivity (at least mine didn't). They seem to be prone to respiratory infections (of course mine were both in bad health when I received them which lowered their resistence.
Years later when I was in college I noticed a lot of dead crows and ravens on the side of the road (this was in Tennesse) and asked my zooarchaeology teacher about it. He said that crows and ravens are primarily scavengers and the ones I was seeing were probably hit while eating roadkill. I was somewhat shocked because the two crows I had ate a lot of things- none of which remotely resembled roadkill. Still makes me wonder.
Anyway, great post and pictures - as always.
Here I am. It's nice to see ndb again!
We have at least one perennial pair of hawks (I presume they're red-tailed) that nest at the top of dead pines along the drive every year.
Yesterday morning they were very vocal and flying through the airspace near the house, which is rather unusual. After some time, we realized there were three of them - apparently an interloper that the two were chasing off, rather unsuccessfully since this went on all morning.
We have our corvens of crows as well, and at fairly frequent intervals are alerted to their harrassment of owls and hawks, an opportunity to see their victims.
One of the nicest things every year is a clear blue-sky day with the pair flying and calling and a half-dozen or so smaller fledglings following them in formation.
Crow Jane, Crow Jane, what makes you hold your head so high?
Well you must remember, babe, you was born to die. (old blues song)
As luck would have it, I blogged a nursery rhyme about crows today.
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