A murder! Of Crows…

How could that really be the name of a group of Crows? It seems so appropriate but is it only because Crows seem to have a scary reputation? And from where did that reputation, and also the name for the group, originate? A great source on Crows 

Crow / Deception Pass State Park, WA / August 201

Or is it just me and the influence of the movie, The Birds? When I did my blog on Gulls [August 4, 2016 - Gulls! Gulls! Gulls!], to shorten my blog, I didn't mention the movie, The Birds. Ingrained in my memory is seagulls perched on a jungle gym in a playground. After seeing that movie I remember seeing seagulls at my sandy school playground and being very hesitant to walk by them. (That is a reason why young children should not see scary movies - everything becomes a frightening reality!) Crows were also some of the attacking birds in the movie, The Birds!

In my recent trips to the Pacific Northwest, I noticed Crows were prevalent. Thus I had to overcome some of my biases towards Crows as naturally I began to think about them as a subject for a blog. As in the past with other blogs, providentially, I saw some interesting sights of Crows or perhaps it was just because I started noticing Crows and all their interesting behaviors more!

One thing I have noticed over the past years of traveling is that crows are around the ocean more than I expected. Actually even on the beach! Here is one calmly among the seagulls eating sand crabs just like a seagull!

Crow among gulls / Carl Washburne State Park beach, OR / June 2015

A murder of Crows / Seaside, OR / July 2016 

On a walk along Seaside’s promenade, I noticed this “murder” of Crows. I immediately thought of the Crows group name as the group sat appropriately on a dead looking tree!







In the video, watch how some of the Crows carry out a display behavior of head bobbing. I don’t know what the display represents.

A murder of Crows / Seaside, OR / July 2016

Crows / Seaside, OR / July 2016

Not far away were some Crows gathered on a bush in a yard. I thought it looked odd and didn’t see the Crows eating bugs or fruit from the plant.

Crow in flight / Anacortes, WA / August 2016 

Here are more Crows near the water. I would guess they are eating sea creatures among the seaweed.




In the video, notice the swagger reminiscent of the Mynah bird in Hawai’i!

Crows / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Over my first year of this blog, I have been lucky to have had amazing nature coincidences to observe and record. Here is my providential occurrence for this blog:  One afternoon, I sat outside in a backyard reading. I heard a continuous raucous noise that was unmistakably from Crows. I went out to the front with camera in hand. The birds were on a roof across the street. 

Three Crows / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

After observing a number of parent-juvenile bird relationships over this year [May 19, 2016 - It’s twins - twice! Cardinals that is!] and [August 4, 2016 - Gulls! Gulls! Gulls!], I feel confident that the loud, demanding Crow is an overgrown juvenile begging for one of its last provided meals! 

Three Crows / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

I believe the middle Crow even has something in its mouth. 

Something I did not "touch" on is the difference between Ravens and Crows . Since working in the Northern California redwoods, I have not seen too many Ravens and certainly haven't photographed any. :( But I do remember them as massive birds! I remember being alone in a kiosk and seeing the Ravens strut around - as tall as a trash can!

Although we do not have Crows (Corvidae family) in Hawai’i, perhaps you can observe a “murmuration” of the similar but not closely related, Mynahs (Sturnidae family) [February 4, 2016 - Urban Flight amidst Urban Blight and January 14, 2016 - Gangster birds of Hawaii (with violent fights added in!)] and “watch out” for the Mynah’s natural, and similar, behaviors!

No, that’s not my cat… My love affair with a not-my-cat cat.

(All photos were taken from August 2015 through August 2016 - mostly at my home.)

Have you ever seen those movies where a young (usually single woman) “owns” a cat that is not her cat? Some women will even feed the cat they don’t own! To me the most hilarious example is from the movie, The Heat. Melissa McCarthy brings the “runaway” cat to Sandra Bullock’s new home saying she found her cat. Then as she watches Sandra Bullock's face, she finally says, “That isn’t your cat is it?” 

I assume that happens in real life and it happened to me! This blog is the story of my “love affair” with my neighbor’s cat. The cat became so established in my home that visiting friends, would say, “I didn’t know you had a cat." They would see the cat run from our home when they entered or run across the lawn to see us when we came home. Then I had to say, “No, it’s not my cat. It’s my neighbor’s cat.”

I dedicate this blog to my wonderful, lively and gracious, friend and neighbor, and her family. She generously allowed me to “share” her cat. In the first days, I kept thinking my neighbor would come over and demand her cat back or accuse me of “stealing” her cat; but she never did. In my neighbor’s delightful, open and accepting manner, she would laugh at the situation and at her capricious cat. And for that I am eternally grateful! I had a blissful year of healing love from a beautiful cat.

Here is how the story goes. Our neighbors had two dogs, and a sassy cat. 

We spent a lot of time at each other’s homes. The three dogs (including ours) felt comfortable at either home. On perhaps two or three occasions, their skittish, but curious, cat would drift over to our house to meow for a meal or sometimes even be petted by the owner. The cat always avoided my husband and I.

Very tragically, within about a year, all three dogs passed away. The first day of being alone at home in retirement, I remember feeling a deep sense of loss. All over again, I felt the pain of missing the loving presence in our home of our beloved dog of fifteen years.

With the absence of our dog at our house, my neighbor’s cat began to lie on a chair on our fire deck. Naturally, I would sit and talk to her and unbelievably she would let me pet her! 

In the miserably hot months of August and September, I often had our front door open. Eventually, the cat would come in and sit or lie on the rug inside our front door! 

Various classic cat sitting poses on our front doorstep…

"the vase"

"tucked feet"

And so the cat was in! Of course, I couldn’t resist spending time with her and paying attention to her… My neighbor and I hypothesized the cat was establishing a larger territory. Perhaps a visiting friend captured it all when he intuitively remarked that animals somehow know what is needed.

"on her side" (dog-like)

Soon the cat was a nearly daily fixture in our house! She stayed only two or three hours at a time but later would often spend the night. No, I didn’t ever feed her!

I thought I was allergic to cats; I had no problems. 

I thought I didn’t like cats; she was fascinating and in many ways like a dog!

Here are my “watching out for nature” learnings. 

A cat can be like a dog:

- They both spend hours SLEEPING (her favorite visiting activity)! As I loved to photograph our sleeping dog, I found I loved to photograph the sleeping cat!

Over a few minutes time…

Dog-like poses…

 

- shutting out the light....

in the sun...

- Demanding…I had a big dog who would come up to me and lean on me to get me to go to bed. A cat, in typical audacity, will boldly walk on and sit on your computer!

I didn’t know cats ate grass!

Some observed differences between cats and dogs…

- kneading and purring. (Is it a cat’s way to wag its tail?) Both cats and dogs make motions in their sleep but kneading is an uniquely cat motion! 

I did not record the lovely purr of this cat - which is a major difference between cats and dogs! Why do cats purr? Another source about cats purring

- interminable explorers.

- acrobatic athletes. Unfortunately, I didn't capture her three-bound runs across the wide lawn between our homes or some of her unbelievable jumps to a dresser, a high pass through, the railing…

- perpetual cleaners. This cat was so thorough and fastidious at cleaning. I could watch her for hours! 

- gnawing to clean with toes spread!

- dirty paws...

- pristine clean paws... 

Her white areas, including her paws after some attention, would be so beautifully pristine. And she was always so soft!!! 

I thought the black-and-white colored cat must be significant so I did some research. The coloring is noteworthy! Sources about "tuxedo cat" coloring:

- “Tuxedo cats”

- Literary references to “jellicles”

- Genetics of cat color - primarily “tuxedo cats”

I am posting this blog (with prior permission of my neighbor) about this exceptional cat for this week as the family (and cat!) just moved out-of-state! :( 

The house across the lawn is empty. The pillow on my porch is empty. There is a large void in my heart.

Settling into her new home…

Again, I send boundless thanks to my neighbor, and her family, for all the years of fun, friendship, and love! And especially for sharing their cat with me! (Thanks to my neighbors for these last two photos.)

So continue to “watch out for nature,” even at home! You can learn a lot from your own pets, and maybe even a neighbor’s!

Gulls! Gulls! Gulls!

The loud and clear calls of gulls is my “comfort” sound. The sound fills me with joy. It brings to mind the feel of warm sand beneath my feet and cool waves engulfing me.

Seagulls / Anacortes, WA / July 2016

Seagull prints / Seaside, OR/ July 2016

I can almost feel the hotter sun upon me and, the closer you get to the water, I can imagine the brighter sun which sparkles on all it hits. I spent the majority of my growing-up years in San Diego. There are so many places of water beauty that provided happy memories - Torrey Pines State Park, Mission Beach, La Jolla Shores, Mission Bay, Shelter Island, Coronado Island, San Diego Harbor, and Point Loma. 

The call of the gulls is something I have missed in Hawai’i. For some reason there are no gulls flying over the beaches of Hawai’i. Perhaps gulls are not strong enough flyers to have established populations in Hawai’i. 

Luckily as I have camped and traveled, I have visited many places that provide me with my gull call “fix!” 

Seagulls / Patrick’s Point State Park, CA / June 2015 

Seagull flying / Seaside, OR/ July 2016

Something that is very interesting to me is that many of the gulls I saw, from coast to coast, appear to be the same gull! 

It is the iconic seagull featured in models and statues. 

Herring Seagull / above Bodega Bay, CA / June 2011

Herring Seagull / Venice Fishing Pier, CA / December 2015

Herring Seagull / outside Freeport, ME / June 2016

I can’t definitively tell the gulls in my photos apart but after examination of my sources, I believe even the iconic gulls I saw in California, were actually Herring Gulls as opposed to California Gulls. Gull comparison information 

There are many gulls which look a great deal a lot, even many species with red dots on their yellow beaks! I remember learning about the red dot on the beak in college. When feeding stranded baby gulls, the red dot had to be present on the stick beak to instigate the feeding behavior of the young.

Herring Seagull / Priest Point, WA / July 2016

Herring Seagulls / Carl Washburne State Park, OR/ June 2015

Herring Seagull / Acadia National Park, ME / June 2016

I determined these photos of gulls all showed Herring Gulls as the gulls all appear to have pink legs / feet. Herring Gull information It was very difficult to identify the gulls in my photos. I cannot believe I still have not learned to carefully take  photos with attention to feet, beaks, wing coloring, etc. as noted in a much earlier blog! [January 21, 2016 - California beach … birds!]

I should have known there were many types of gulls, as with most birds! So for time, and sanity sake, I will not try to identify any of the other gulls in my photos! 

Seagulls / Patrick’s Point State Park, CA / June 2015

Seagulls / Carl Washburne State Park, OR/ June 2015

To complicate matters even more, I learned that it takes about two years for gulls to fully mature. As the gulls age, the gulls may look like a completely different species and some will even change from season to season! Gull variation  So in many of my photos there may be Herring Gulls that are in their first or even second summer!

Seagull / Seaside, OR/ July 2016

 

Seagulls / Astoria, OR / June 2015

Seagull / Cape Lookout State Park, OR/ June 2015 

I believe the gulls pictured above / around do have to be different species as there is not a predominant red dot on the gulls’ beaks. The beak tip is black.

I also am fascinated by how gulls group together. I also think, surprisingly, gulls group with many gull species together. This fact is reinforced by one of my sources. Gull groups

Seagull prints / Seaside, OR/ July 2016

Seagulls / Seaside, OR/ July 2016 

Seagulls / off Guemes Channel Trail, WA / July 2016

Seagulls / off Guemes Channel Trail, WA / July 2016

I have even observed unbelievably large groups of gulls!

Seagulls / near Astoria, OR / June 2015

They will also group in the middle of the ocean. I think this is most likely due to a food source.

                                                 Seagulls / off Washington Park, WA / July 2016

Seagull / Seaside, OR/ July 201

I have observed gulls using many modes of feeding. Unfortunately one food source is human food, either wastes or provided. 

Seagulls / Carl Washburne State Park, OR/ June 2015 

Seagull / off Bar Island, ME / June 2016

Luckily, on less populated beaches, I have seen gulls relying on their own resources whether eating tiny sea creatures or using their intelligence to eat larger shelled sea creatures - mollusks. 

Although not captured in film, I have seen gulls fly by and drop clams on asphalt and rocks to get to the soft flesh within! But I was very lucky to observe this gull preparing to dive and diving, presumably to "fish!"

                                      Seagull “hunting” / Fort Stevens State Park, WA / July 2016 

Seagull and baby / Seaside, OR/ July 201

Just recently I was lucky to observe, my favorite, a parent with its baby! 

I love how the juvenal calls to the adult above. And of course, how the young bird, still relying on its parent for food, is nearly the same size as the adults. This seems to be a pattern in the world of birds as noted with my cardinal photos. [May 19, 2016 - It’s twins - twice! Cardinals that is!]

Seagull and baby / Seaside, OR/ July 2016

We observed the parent and juvenal on the same house over a number of days.

Well, “that’s all folks!” This “laughing” gull is a nice closure to this week’s blog where yet again I explored birdlife as I “watched out for nature.”

Seagull “laughing” / Port Townsend, WA / July 2016