Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Murder on Elmira Pond

Attempted Murder Strolls Onto the Scene
The Arrival
Murder in Progress
Murder Most Black
Not as Innocent as Snow
Criminal Thoughts?
Or Misunderstood Birds?
Hiding Evidence?
Or Seeking It?
And the Murder Flies Off
Yes, a murder most fowl showed up on the grassy banks and icy shoreline of Elmira Pond. A black murder of crows against the winter cloak of white.

American crows become the prominent bird of winter, not just because they are so easy to spot, all black on white. They remain when all other birds have left.

Well, the migrators have left. No more Blue Heron to harass, no mother merganser with her tuft-headed brood, no more diving osprey.

With the seasonal guests gone from the shores of Elmira, the crows have moved in, roosting in the pines and plucking at any opportunities that remain.

Crows are both predators, as well as prey. They are bothersome in the spring when migrators are nesting because they like to eat eggs. A single crow can devour an entire nest as if it were a super-sized fast-food meal.

As scavengers, they will eat anything--deer roadkill, discarded crackers, frogs, fruit, snakes and field mice. They've been known to collect shiny things, too.

I've heard stories of crows hoarding all manner of things like a pack-rat. I've even heard tales that you can play a game with a crow and leave shiny objects as a gift and see if the crow gives you any in return.

It's a tempting game to set up. And winter would be the perfect time to play, while the migrators are away. I'll keep you posted on any results.

One thing that photography teaches me is to observe. When I first spotted this group, there was but one crow walking down my driveway. Then more and more showed up and as a group they plotted and winged their way to the pond.

Then flew off.

It was an interesting movement and the course of these photos took less than five minutes. What they were up to, I can't say. They committed no actual crime.

Murder is the name for a group of birds from the Corvidea family--crows, ravens, jays and magpies. It originates from folklore and superstition.

It is said that crows will gather to decide the capital fate of another. Perhaps this gathering was the Corvidea version of a murder trial.

Many superstitions about crows perpetuate because they are ominous black scavengers. Imagine more gruesome times when battlefields, prison towers or plague-ridden towns were full of Corvidea accompanying the dead.

No wonder murder most fowl seemed appropriate.

Today, however, we know that crows are highly intelligent and social birds. They mate for life and stay together in close-knit families. They will even help out strange crows and speak over 250 different calls!

I often hear a crow call and ponder what bird is making that noise in December and then a crow flies over. I'm always surprised when I learn a new crow call.

Scientists monitor crows for the impact of certain human diseases. For instance, crows are a huge indicator of West Nile Disease. Since 1999, 45 percent of American crows have succumbed to this disease.

In a sense, they do foretell.

Today, they are simply fun to welcome to the pond. And so photogenic with black wings beating against a white background.

I'm linking up this (wordy) post with Abracabadra for Wordless Wednesday. You can find beautiful and thought-provoking photos through her generous post.

20 comments:

  1. I did not know that crows mate for life. I do know that they tattle on me when I'm trying to sneak through the woods. They are loud!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, ha! They are loud, that's for certain and territorial. :-)

      Delete
  2. Very interesting post, and lovely photos! I never knew much about the crows, except that they used to tease my dog. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crows get a bad rap, but then again, they behave badly, too! :-)

      Delete
  3. Absolutely wonderful post. I have learned a lot from it. And very good pictures too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I am learning more about crows and getting a better appreciation!

      Delete
  4. I've never cared much for crows, but the pictures and the lesson crows was great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too! So the crows must be campaigning to be better understood. :-) The more I photograph them, the more I appreciate them.

      Delete
  5. Crows are fascinating birds aren't they and you taught me a few things I didn't know about them - mating for life for instance! My daughter is obsessed with them. Lovely wintery photos of the black against the white. Looks like a real whodunnit! Here, Magpies in particular attract a great deal of superstition as do the Ravens at The Tower of London, a very bad omen if they leave. So they keep Ravens there, feed them and clip their wings :-)
    PS I thought I signed up to follow you here ages ago...have put that right :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They clip their wings! Good thing writers aren't so superstitious about keeping readers around. :-D They are stunning in certain settings, and proving to be more interesting than I thought. Thanks for sharing comparisons over in England. I love that!

      Delete
  6. I had no clue about their characteristics, until now!
    Thanks for the wordy and beautiful captures of these magnificent birds.

    Always a pleasure to have you on board :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting birds, after all. And thanks for letting me get wordy this week! :-)

      Delete
  7. Love the photos! My husband turned a crow caller on his lathe, and he has a blast agitating the crows with it. We should make one for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crow caller? This sound fun! I'm going to try a gift exchange first, hoping for some lost treasure. If not, I'll be up to agitating the murder! :-)

      Delete
  8. Great post Vharli and love the sequence of photos. Looks damn cold! Seeing the cations put me in mind if anger member of the Corvus family, the Jackdaw and a story, in poem from, my dad read to me and the Archaeologist when we we're small. It comes from the Ingoldsby Legends and is called the Jackdaw of Rheims. Given when it was written it is fabulous. I tried to add a link but failed. I'm sure Dr Google will find it for you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The Jackdaw of Rheims sounds intriguing. I will enlist Dr. Google and find it! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My dad once tried to keep a crow as a pet. If I remember right, it drove my grandmother nuts till she made him get rid of it. I don't see them that often so never thought of them as being murderers. Great post!! I learned a lot and love your photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A crow would make a noisy pet, I'm sure! I was watching them again today, and how they each leave, one by one.

      Delete
  11. Gorgeous photos and wonderful description, Charli. Thank you for sharing. I feel your appreciation for this murderous lot growing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This murder is calling to me like I'm a detective! :-)

      Delete