skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Ravens are pretty smart. Their intelligence is likened to that of a dog. We see lots of cousin crows in the city, but not many ravens. Crows tend to be very social and travel in groups; ravens are loners.
Three personal connections come to mind when I think of the Raven.
Raven Number 1: A favorite author, Edgar Allan Poe.
Tell-Tale Heart, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Cask of Amontillado, and Pit and the Pendulum were my favorite scary-fun reads in school. The Raven symbolizes Poe:
“Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling...”
Raven Number 2: An April camping weekend at Joshua Tree National Park twenty-five years ago. Magazine Publishers are ‘different ducks’ and I’ve worked for a number of them as a Production Manager. One Publisher in particular was an absolute crazy woman. The editorial staff and I often noted that she had at least seventeen different personalities and could display them all within a span of five minutes.
After working long hours and meeting April’s issue deadline, I was looking forward to a camping weekend at Joshua Tree. Springtime in the desert...abundant wildflowers, critters, hiking, and relaxation. Our primitive campsite was comprised of tent, table, and fire-ring with a pit toilet nearby. Friday night’s dinner was chicken, veggies, and spices wrapped in foil and cooked on the campfire. A little star-gazing, then off to bed for an early start the next day.
I was startled awake by noises at the sun’s first light. My groggy ears heard: Work! Work! Work! Still half asleep, I remember telling my husband that Carole (the Publisher) was HERE! She had followed me HERE to take me back to the office! As I peeked outside I saw her too. She had morphed into a Raven! Work! Work! Work!
Raven Number 3: Mystery Lodge at Knotts Berry Farm.
Amusement Park seeds were planted in Southern California during the 1950’s. Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm were among the resulting sprouts, each evolving and expanding to this day. One of my favorite attractions is the Mystery Lodge at Knotts. Indian lore is told in a very fascinating way and yes, the Raven does appear....so do tears. Bring your tissues....
While visiting The World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, I snapped this photo of an Ornate Hawk-Eagle. He was on educational display the day we visited and is a magnificent animal. His normal geographic range is Central and South America, but we were able (and fortunate) to admire him from only a few feet away. During our visit, we signed the computerized guest-book with a request to receive their newsletter by email. It's very informative with lots of good info and photos. Sign up at the Peregrine Fund website. It's free.
Little 'Allen' is our resident guard-bird. He's ever vigilant. Always watching...and both feeders too! Front AND back. He warns, scolds, and regulates which birds can visit or drink. It's stressful being a guard-bird, so sometimes respite in a loving place is just what the doctor ordered.
Cactus flowers are often night-blooming as protection from the extreme heat of the desert. Pollinators of cacti include bats and hummingbirds! This is an old Peruvian Apple Cactus (cereus repandus) growing in our backyard. These flower buds will continue to develop, open for one night only, then drop to the ground. A smooth-skinned, edible, red fruit (pitaya) will result containing white flesh and many tiny seeds that sparrows and garnets enjoy. This particular cactus is over 30-feet tall.
One June evening, the hummingbirds were particularly active at the backyard feeder. Not only was manufactured nectar available, but Lily of the Nile and Penta blooms had the natural stuff. I decided to sit quietly in the midst of the action, camera in hand. "Feeder photos" are pretty easy to get, so I tried for ones with flower feeds. It wasn't to be that night. The resident "guard bird" was pretty diligent so "air traffic" became very regulated. A couple of opportunities slipped away and night began to fall. Suddenly I was discovered, and a curious little hummingbird "posed" right in front of my face. While attempting to snap the picture, I heard my camera shut down. Dead battery. Darn! Oh well. Just picture in your mind a hummingbird exploring this Lily of the Nile flower and know that dead batteries and the "guard bird" at the feeder conspired against me;)
This California Seagull was photographed in Lee Vining, CA. He isn't far from his probable birthplace, Mono Lake. About 85% of California Gulls come from the rookeries located on the islands of Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra. My first (childhood) glimpse of the lake was in 1964 from Conway Summit to the north. Even as a nine-year-old, I was in awe of the beauty of the area, desolate and lunar-esque. Though still very large in the 1960's, the lake had already begun to shrink due to the diversion of water (via the Los Angeles Aqueduct) from feeder streams. Many years later after the completion of the second LA Aqueduct (adding transport capacity) the lake's water level dropped so low that the islands became peninsulas and coyotes were able to access seagull nests. Through the efforts of the Save Mono Lake movement (in the 1970's), DWP allocates water to the lake so Negit and Paoho are islands again and seagull rookeries are safe from coyotes. The lake also serves a wide variety of migratory birds.As a side note, the water issues of the Eastern Sierra were dramatized in the 1974 movie, Chinatown, with Jack Nicholson. The movie was based on William Mulholland's attempt to gain control of water rights in the Owens Valley and the resulting construction of the original LA Aqueduct. Cadillac Desert is a documentary fim, portions of which chronicle the fight over water in the Eastern Sierra.
We recently visited the Boise, Idaho area. Pretty place (great for bird-watching and fiddling contests;) One of our stops was the World Center For Birds of Prey. An experienced volunteer is holding a 13 year old male Peregrine Falcon. This falcon was not released into the wild or used for breeding because of poor vision. He is currently part of the educational program at the Center. The organization has worked to save the Peregrine population and is now working to increase the numbers of California Condors in the wild. Visit their website for more info.
Ravens are pretty smart. Their intelligence is likened to that of a dog. We see lots of cousin crows in the city, but not many ravens. Crows tend to be very social and travel in groups; ravens are loners.
