I read this with a sigh of relief dear David, I am punching skyward with a loud bravo to little ones for their quick-witted gumption and dexterity in architectural design, it is no mean feat to trick a crow!
For years I watched in daily horror as almost every European baby-bird-robbing brute possible landed in my garden, cuckoos, magpies, blue-jays, crows... waited for a quiet moment, no shadows, no movement, then swooped into the shrubbery to reappear in seconds with a tiny bundle of terrified downy feathers... it took me years to realise the hunters were watching their prey, years more to entice them away; they are all very partial to walnuts and I have buckets and buckets of them!
This year I have been relieved of walnut baiting though, my neighbouring farmer has invested in a bird scarer, a mighty canon that blasts every 30 minutes across the field at the bottom of my garden... all the brutes have scarpered but so have most of the bush birds too...
I am thanking the god of birds for swallows and swifts!
That first double exposure is exquisite... did you hear that deep sigh escape me?
Fascinating, breathholding, and heartbreaking. You're getting us all to root for these bushtit fledglings (and their elders)... from great distances. Wondering whether that helps, or draws unwanted attention too...?
This is such a glorious time of year to enjoy birdsong in the garden.
Nature is brutal and unsympathetic to soft hearts and soft bodies. I am glad to catch a small and careful glimpse of this wonder of the world through your careful lens David. I hope that for many years, the bushtits return safe to their secret place to build this marvel and rear their young, safe from beady eyes. Yesterday, along the river on the opposite bank, I passed a magpie ruthlessly stabbing its beak into something soft and feathered. A duckling, I think. The mallards watched. I could see no other little bodies, so perhaps they were hidden safe and only their sibling succumbed.
Ohhhhh, Emily, coming upon these scenes is such big work, having to remind ourselves that this is the way things must work. Everybody eats something. But it is ever so much more powerful a gut-punch to watch littles you’ve been rooting for, for weeks become a marauder’s plunder, to watch their parents futile attempts to chase their attackers away, to see a nest destroyed. I get there, eventually, but always want to check myself, to be sure that I have not been the agent of their demise, drawing unwanted attention to them, by beaming and gawking, and pointing my camera for too long.
I took one look at your amazing photograph, and said to myself, ‘just what am I looking at’ no doubt something wonderful if David P. stopped to capture it on film. Wow, David, just brilliant!especially the multiple exposure. Embarrassingly, I must admit, my inner child won out over my highly intelligent🙃 adult birder with the keen eye. Totally missed seeing the second head poking through in my hasty attempt to ‘open my gift’ before reading the card that came with it. How incredible, a mossy mix of fiber art .So they all live in there together? An extended family bird condo ! I have never heard of, or seen such a work of art before. But now I’ve come to the next chapter in the story. I have been in a similar situation ,and before I write a few pages here, I will stop myself and say, damn it hurts when it happens. Regardless if it might have happened anyway, you still relive it in your mind. I am truly sorry. Thank you for the words of caution . I am taking note of your ability to strategize at a moments notice. In my yard, while Corvids are consistently proving their intelligence, we now have a Bobcat that lives somewhere in our wooded property . And if that is not enough of a predator to be concerned about, we ( my husband, Paul) both saw a Catamount ! or Mountain Lion . Supposedly extinct here. We observed it up close , about 20 ft away, while we were walking with our dog. Standing still ,swishing a long tail before casually glancing our way, sprinted across the road in two fluid jumps, long , gorgeous body, stopped to stare again and then casually walked away. I watched a second time, a month later (actually one month ago) crossing my backyard. I went outside as quietly as I could , and once again confirmed our suspicions. So far, there is no visible evidence of their prey, but I would be kidding myself to assume they are just hanging out and not dining in our yard.
I enjoyed this writing - I am a bird watcher myself. I have also occasionally mourned the fact that here on substack in spite of it being a haven for writing, writers, the written - it has like all other things fallen to its lowest common denominator, complaint. I see that complaints about the .... evil wizard.... receive about 15 times more interest than my art, i work so hard on for months. But that's just how it is i guess. Know that what you write is given freely and people who find their way to it really enjoy it. Your view of the world, in your world, is understood by another human being. That's gotta feel good.
Good morning, Rickie Lee. Thank you for making time to leave a note and to offer such encouragement. Like you, I'm weary (and wary), of that lowest common denominator, and don't want to dwell there or give it all my best energies. So much beauty and wonder to feed one's curiosity and soul with... I sense that you understand.
"Your view of the world, in your world, is understood by another human being. That's gotta feel good."
It does. Thank you.
I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance and I wish you happy birding.
I wonder if the crows might be distracted if you fed them in a different spot of the garden? My kids are befriending a family of crows, offering bits of ribbon, a shiny button, and of course food. They even offered a place for them to wash their food.
I assure you, Tey, this is a wild lands observation. It is not in my garden. I do have a pair of crows nesting somewhere nearby my garden, and a pair of Stellar's Jays, also nest robbers, who recently built a nest, probably in the laurel hedge. While the jays were building their nest, the crows shadowed and harassed them, trying to follow them back to wherever they were building their nest. I watched the mind games, but I refuse to take sides or try to give one group the upper hand. Let them do their best without me trying to play god and decide who should win.
Gosh, I wasn’t suggesting you try to play god, and I apologize if my rambling thoughts were muddy.
I was wrong in imagining it was your back yard, true enough.
I intended my thoughts to include consideration that there is enough food in the world for all, despite the seeming imbalance of the crows stealing small titmice. Sort of along the lines of carrying a spider back outside versus crushing it because it sought haven inside the house. A gentle nudge of misdirection rather than a lightning bolt from the skies.
After reading your post, I asked my birder husband if he’d ever seen a Bushtit nest. He said, “Yeah, it looks like dirty wool sock.” I like your description better!
Crows always amaze me with their wariness, intelligence, and keen observation skills. I have been taking photos of birds from behind a blind that covers a window in our house. It overlooks a small pond, and I have learned that if I am in the shadows and move slowly, most birds do not see me. I recently managed to get photos of a bathing Blue Jay, which is no small feat. The other day, a crow came in to get a drink, and I thought this was my chance to get a picture of a crow up close. I slowly moved across the window to get into position, and I saw the crow take notice of shifting shadows. He left a few seconds later, demonstrating they are among the most observant birds. Thanks for the advice on taking this into account when observing other birds.
Ah, the natural world can be cruel at times. I do like and respect crows as well as the smaller birds who end up becoming food for the crows. It's no wonder that crows have received a bad reputation among the birding communities. Sometimes crows are more trickery than magical.
We chose sides, don’t we? People have a lot in common with crows. The answer to why we feel more for the little birds than the crows is buried somewhere deep in human nature. In the end, we all eat baby birds. Am I being too harsh? Maybe….
Yes, but why? Humans are the most rapacious predators, far more than crows. I find the question of empathy for animals interesting. The little birds are a lot cuter than the crow, but that just moves the question to a slightly different location--- why do we think they're cuter? I could make a case for empathy for all animals when you consider what it takes for creatures to persist. You said, the natural world is cruel, but it isn't, it's neutral. Cruelty is a human concept.
I'm not gonna argue against your point here, Walter, but I will try to clarify that I am quite reluctant to take sides, to tip the scales and award the crows a 'freebie' by carelessly 'showing' them where there is a nest for the taking. That's not deciding who's cuter. That's trying to 'do no harm.' Why should a nestful of baby birds become crow food simply because I showed the crows where to find them? Crow populations continue to grow while songbird populations plummet. I don't want to be a part of that equation simply by adoring the babies of one group and thus tipping off the parents of the other. Makes sense?
I was half joking when I said nature is cruel. I'm actually an animal communicator and Reiki Master who would gladly spend more time in the natural world than with humans. I find humans massively destructive and cruel--most of which seems programmed and subconscious. My work is helping animals who I find wise and compassionate.
There was a study at the University of Washington during the 1990s to prove that crows were not the top reason why songbirds were declining. And what the study found was that cats played a larger role in the killing of birds. And farming, especially thresher machines, pesticides and herbicide uses. One of those convservation magazines (this was a long time ago so I don't remember which one) had photographs of the piles of birds killed by farmers each year. I can't even imagine the number of birds killed by big ag.
So, yes, humans are the most destructive of the creatures and sadly, we regard ourselves as the most intelligent being on the planet. We say that we're at the top of the food chain which would seem that we should act more responsibly when placed in that entitled role. There will never be an animal who will build nuclear missils or create dangerous AI.
I've been advocating for animals since childhood. On some days my heart is broken. I'm 60 now and I haven't seen enough changes with humanity to give me much hope.
Patricia, thanks for elaborating your comments. Advocating for animals is often heartbreaking. Sometimes what people do is infuriating. There was a time when the army (I think) and farmers were spraying migrating blackbirds to kill them by the thousands. You kinda wanna know whose brilliant idea that was, eh? As for changing humanity, in the short run, that's a long shot (to coin a phrase).
Thanks for this, Patricia. I'm very much with you on the 'haven't seen enough changes with humanity..." part.
To clarify, I'm not advocating for one side in this equation over the other, and like the study you mention, I'm pretty sure crows are not the primary cause of songbird population decline. My point is that if my clueless adoration and curiosity over a songbird nest tilts the playing field in favor of the crow who watches me for clues, then I am partially responsible for the death of the songbird babies. I will have put them at risk by openly adoring them. The crows are well within their rights to time their nesting with the nesting of songbirds so that there are plenty of nests to rob to feed their ravenous babies. That's the way of 'predator/prey. I just don't want to be the decider, by default on who wins that battle in the case of any one nest. Let the crows do their own research.
I'm not rooting for them to lose. I'm just trying to be aware and 'make others aware' of how little it takes to be a part of the problem for a songbird family, how easily you can tip the scales in favor of the predator. Crow populations are growing. Songbird populations are plummeting. This does not make crows bad, but it does give them a bit more of an advantage...
Crows are better at adapting to changing environments than other birds. They have had a close association with humans since ancient times as shared by Indigenous people. Crows scavenged for food sources left behind by humans. They still do that.
Since crows are large black birds this makes them an obvious scapegoat. Crows have been scapegoated, especially when it comes to songbirds. The other thing to consider is that crows, ravens and gray parrots are considered to be the most intelligent birds. And crows know how to use tools which makes them as intelligent as primates.
Then again, humans destroying habitats of migrating birds and local songbirds (so that they can have convient lifestyles) plays a role too, but it would be easier for humans to blame crows rather than make sustainable lifestyle changes. Of course this isn't true for all humans because there are humans choosing alternative ways of living.
How much does the EMFs from wind farms, data collection centers, and urban settings contribute to the decline of songbirds. I'm not saying this to promote fear or guilt but for self-examination and perhaps to tests are values. Do we value the birds more than our convenient lifestyles?
I think this is too philosophical and I'm sure that wasn't David's original intent on offering his creativity and photographs of birds.
It’s one of the highlights of my day to read your words and admire your photography skills! I subscribe to the others you mentioned. Thank you for sharing them and, as always, thank you for sharing your many gifts and wisdom with us. 🫶🏼
I read this with a sigh of relief dear David, I am punching skyward with a loud bravo to little ones for their quick-witted gumption and dexterity in architectural design, it is no mean feat to trick a crow!
For years I watched in daily horror as almost every European baby-bird-robbing brute possible landed in my garden, cuckoos, magpies, blue-jays, crows... waited for a quiet moment, no shadows, no movement, then swooped into the shrubbery to reappear in seconds with a tiny bundle of terrified downy feathers... it took me years to realise the hunters were watching their prey, years more to entice them away; they are all very partial to walnuts and I have buckets and buckets of them!
This year I have been relieved of walnut baiting though, my neighbouring farmer has invested in a bird scarer, a mighty canon that blasts every 30 minutes across the field at the bottom of my garden... all the brutes have scarpered but so have most of the bush birds too...
I am thanking the god of birds for swallows and swifts!
That first double exposure is exquisite... did you hear that deep sigh escape me?
Fascinating, breathholding, and heartbreaking. You're getting us all to root for these bushtit fledglings (and their elders)... from great distances. Wondering whether that helps, or draws unwanted attention too...?
This is such a glorious time of year to enjoy birdsong in the garden.
Your photography is stunning. A true gift. 🪶 🤍🙏
Nature is brutal and unsympathetic to soft hearts and soft bodies. I am glad to catch a small and careful glimpse of this wonder of the world through your careful lens David. I hope that for many years, the bushtits return safe to their secret place to build this marvel and rear their young, safe from beady eyes. Yesterday, along the river on the opposite bank, I passed a magpie ruthlessly stabbing its beak into something soft and feathered. A duckling, I think. The mallards watched. I could see no other little bodies, so perhaps they were hidden safe and only their sibling succumbed.
Ohhhhh, Emily, coming upon these scenes is such big work, having to remind ourselves that this is the way things must work. Everybody eats something. But it is ever so much more powerful a gut-punch to watch littles you’ve been rooting for, for weeks become a marauder’s plunder, to watch their parents futile attempts to chase their attackers away, to see a nest destroyed. I get there, eventually, but always want to check myself, to be sure that I have not been the agent of their demise, drawing unwanted attention to them, by beaming and gawking, and pointing my camera for too long.
So true in every way 💛
I took one look at your amazing photograph, and said to myself, ‘just what am I looking at’ no doubt something wonderful if David P. stopped to capture it on film. Wow, David, just brilliant!especially the multiple exposure. Embarrassingly, I must admit, my inner child won out over my highly intelligent🙃 adult birder with the keen eye. Totally missed seeing the second head poking through in my hasty attempt to ‘open my gift’ before reading the card that came with it. How incredible, a mossy mix of fiber art .So they all live in there together? An extended family bird condo ! I have never heard of, or seen such a work of art before. But now I’ve come to the next chapter in the story. I have been in a similar situation ,and before I write a few pages here, I will stop myself and say, damn it hurts when it happens. Regardless if it might have happened anyway, you still relive it in your mind. I am truly sorry. Thank you for the words of caution . I am taking note of your ability to strategize at a moments notice. In my yard, while Corvids are consistently proving their intelligence, we now have a Bobcat that lives somewhere in our wooded property . And if that is not enough of a predator to be concerned about, we ( my husband, Paul) both saw a Catamount ! or Mountain Lion . Supposedly extinct here. We observed it up close , about 20 ft away, while we were walking with our dog. Standing still ,swishing a long tail before casually glancing our way, sprinted across the road in two fluid jumps, long , gorgeous body, stopped to stare again and then casually walked away. I watched a second time, a month later (actually one month ago) crossing my backyard. I went outside as quietly as I could , and once again confirmed our suspicions. So far, there is no visible evidence of their prey, but I would be kidding myself to assume they are just hanging out and not dining in our yard.
Good grief. That is very exciting!
Oh my goodness, that nest is so well camouflaged - even knowing it was there by your caption, I had to look closely to see it!
Thanks as always for your reminders to appreciate the magical all around us 😊
I follow all three of you with the light and peace your works brings to my life. Wonder filled and a lovely gift for which I’m thankful!
I enjoyed this writing - I am a bird watcher myself. I have also occasionally mourned the fact that here on substack in spite of it being a haven for writing, writers, the written - it has like all other things fallen to its lowest common denominator, complaint. I see that complaints about the .... evil wizard.... receive about 15 times more interest than my art, i work so hard on for months. But that's just how it is i guess. Know that what you write is given freely and people who find their way to it really enjoy it. Your view of the world, in your world, is understood by another human being. That's gotta feel good.
Good morning, Rickie Lee. Thank you for making time to leave a note and to offer such encouragement. Like you, I'm weary (and wary), of that lowest common denominator, and don't want to dwell there or give it all my best energies. So much beauty and wonder to feed one's curiosity and soul with... I sense that you understand.
"Your view of the world, in your world, is understood by another human being. That's gotta feel good."
It does. Thank you.
I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance and I wish you happy birding.
I wonder if the crows might be distracted if you fed them in a different spot of the garden? My kids are befriending a family of crows, offering bits of ribbon, a shiny button, and of course food. They even offered a place for them to wash their food.
I’m cheering for the bushtits to win this year.
I assure you, Tey, this is a wild lands observation. It is not in my garden. I do have a pair of crows nesting somewhere nearby my garden, and a pair of Stellar's Jays, also nest robbers, who recently built a nest, probably in the laurel hedge. While the jays were building their nest, the crows shadowed and harassed them, trying to follow them back to wherever they were building their nest. I watched the mind games, but I refuse to take sides or try to give one group the upper hand. Let them do their best without me trying to play god and decide who should win.
Gosh, I wasn’t suggesting you try to play god, and I apologize if my rambling thoughts were muddy.
I was wrong in imagining it was your back yard, true enough.
I intended my thoughts to include consideration that there is enough food in the world for all, despite the seeming imbalance of the crows stealing small titmice. Sort of along the lines of carrying a spider back outside versus crushing it because it sought haven inside the house. A gentle nudge of misdirection rather than a lightning bolt from the skies.
Makes perfect sense. Thanks for adding context, my friend.
Beautifully shared, I’m hopeful for the patents success🧚🏼♀️
Maybe the bushtits watched the Monty Python episode on “How not to be seen.” I bet they did.
You're still funny, Walter.
Love this.
After reading your post, I asked my birder husband if he’d ever seen a Bushtit nest. He said, “Yeah, it looks like dirty wool sock.” I like your description better!
Heh, heh, heh. He’s not wrong.😉
Crows always amaze me with their wariness, intelligence, and keen observation skills. I have been taking photos of birds from behind a blind that covers a window in our house. It overlooks a small pond, and I have learned that if I am in the shadows and move slowly, most birds do not see me. I recently managed to get photos of a bathing Blue Jay, which is no small feat. The other day, a crow came in to get a drink, and I thought this was my chance to get a picture of a crow up close. I slowly moved across the window to get into position, and I saw the crow take notice of shifting shadows. He left a few seconds later, demonstrating they are among the most observant birds. Thanks for the advice on taking this into account when observing other birds.
I just learned something new! “Shifting shadows”, makes perfect sense, thanks, to both of you.
Good looking out, my friend. Long live the baby bush tits.
Ah, the natural world can be cruel at times. I do like and respect crows as well as the smaller birds who end up becoming food for the crows. It's no wonder that crows have received a bad reputation among the birding communities. Sometimes crows are more trickery than magical.
We chose sides, don’t we? People have a lot in common with crows. The answer to why we feel more for the little birds than the crows is buried somewhere deep in human nature. In the end, we all eat baby birds. Am I being too harsh? Maybe….
I think we see ourselves reflected in the little songbird and the crow.
Yes, but why? Humans are the most rapacious predators, far more than crows. I find the question of empathy for animals interesting. The little birds are a lot cuter than the crow, but that just moves the question to a slightly different location--- why do we think they're cuter? I could make a case for empathy for all animals when you consider what it takes for creatures to persist. You said, the natural world is cruel, but it isn't, it's neutral. Cruelty is a human concept.
I'm not gonna argue against your point here, Walter, but I will try to clarify that I am quite reluctant to take sides, to tip the scales and award the crows a 'freebie' by carelessly 'showing' them where there is a nest for the taking. That's not deciding who's cuter. That's trying to 'do no harm.' Why should a nestful of baby birds become crow food simply because I showed the crows where to find them? Crow populations continue to grow while songbird populations plummet. I don't want to be a part of that equation simply by adoring the babies of one group and thus tipping off the parents of the other. Makes sense?
David, yes, I understood that from your original essay. I would probably do the same.
I was half joking when I said nature is cruel. I'm actually an animal communicator and Reiki Master who would gladly spend more time in the natural world than with humans. I find humans massively destructive and cruel--most of which seems programmed and subconscious. My work is helping animals who I find wise and compassionate.
There was a study at the University of Washington during the 1990s to prove that crows were not the top reason why songbirds were declining. And what the study found was that cats played a larger role in the killing of birds. And farming, especially thresher machines, pesticides and herbicide uses. One of those convservation magazines (this was a long time ago so I don't remember which one) had photographs of the piles of birds killed by farmers each year. I can't even imagine the number of birds killed by big ag.
So, yes, humans are the most destructive of the creatures and sadly, we regard ourselves as the most intelligent being on the planet. We say that we're at the top of the food chain which would seem that we should act more responsibly when placed in that entitled role. There will never be an animal who will build nuclear missils or create dangerous AI.
I've been advocating for animals since childhood. On some days my heart is broken. I'm 60 now and I haven't seen enough changes with humanity to give me much hope.
Patricia, thanks for elaborating your comments. Advocating for animals is often heartbreaking. Sometimes what people do is infuriating. There was a time when the army (I think) and farmers were spraying migrating blackbirds to kill them by the thousands. You kinda wanna know whose brilliant idea that was, eh? As for changing humanity, in the short run, that's a long shot (to coin a phrase).
Thanks for this, Patricia. I'm very much with you on the 'haven't seen enough changes with humanity..." part.
To clarify, I'm not advocating for one side in this equation over the other, and like the study you mention, I'm pretty sure crows are not the primary cause of songbird population decline. My point is that if my clueless adoration and curiosity over a songbird nest tilts the playing field in favor of the crow who watches me for clues, then I am partially responsible for the death of the songbird babies. I will have put them at risk by openly adoring them. The crows are well within their rights to time their nesting with the nesting of songbirds so that there are plenty of nests to rob to feed their ravenous babies. That's the way of 'predator/prey. I just don't want to be the decider, by default on who wins that battle in the case of any one nest. Let the crows do their own research.
I'm not rooting for them to lose. I'm just trying to be aware and 'make others aware' of how little it takes to be a part of the problem for a songbird family, how easily you can tip the scales in favor of the predator. Crow populations are growing. Songbird populations are plummeting. This does not make crows bad, but it does give them a bit more of an advantage...
Crows are better at adapting to changing environments than other birds. They have had a close association with humans since ancient times as shared by Indigenous people. Crows scavenged for food sources left behind by humans. They still do that.
Since crows are large black birds this makes them an obvious scapegoat. Crows have been scapegoated, especially when it comes to songbirds. The other thing to consider is that crows, ravens and gray parrots are considered to be the most intelligent birds. And crows know how to use tools which makes them as intelligent as primates.
Then again, humans destroying habitats of migrating birds and local songbirds (so that they can have convient lifestyles) plays a role too, but it would be easier for humans to blame crows rather than make sustainable lifestyle changes. Of course this isn't true for all humans because there are humans choosing alternative ways of living.
How much does the EMFs from wind farms, data collection centers, and urban settings contribute to the decline of songbirds. I'm not saying this to promote fear or guilt but for self-examination and perhaps to tests are values. Do we value the birds more than our convenient lifestyles?
I think this is too philosophical and I'm sure that wasn't David's original intent on offering his creativity and photographs of birds.
It’s one of the highlights of my day to read your words and admire your photography skills! I subscribe to the others you mentioned. Thank you for sharing them and, as always, thank you for sharing your many gifts and wisdom with us. 🫶🏼
You are most welcome Vickie. Thank you for such a kind note.
Wow. Fabulous photos. Even more wondrous how carefully they are disguised and how careful you are not to give them away. Thank you.