On my street there are three "clans" of crows. There's the northern clan, the central (my) clan, and the southern clan. They pretty much stick to their own territories.
My clan consists of mom, dad, and a very loud junior. I'm enticing them closer by feeding them bits of Abby's leftover kibble, to the extent that when they see me, they fly over and make their presence known. I am trying to get them so acclimated to me that I'll be able to photograph them up close and personal. But they're wary (and rightly so). Very attuned to the smallest noise.
The other day we were walking around the block and entered into the northern clan's territory. Next thing I know I hear wings behind me, something brushes the top of my head, and a crow swoops forward and into a tree, squawking as only crows can squawk. I've been dive-bombed! Don't these guys know I'm friend, not foe? Sheesh.
And then . . . And then . . . Our neighbor Steve was cutting down a few coastal pines on his property and I notice in his stack of brush a big nest. It's well-built and solidly sitting in the crook of a tree. I ask him if he would saw off that section of tree for me to take back to my house to photograph. (Let me make this perfectly clear: the tree had already been cut down. There were no eggs, and nesting season has passed. The tree was ready to be chopped up and taken to the dump.) Steve kindly sawed away that section of tree (with nest attached) and lugged it over to our house. And there it sits upright, next to the front steps, and I have no idea where to put it now. But it's a crow's nest. And it's here. And I'm happy.
So with crows in mind, I created this photomontage. The background is a photo I took of a physical collage I made. I then changed some of the colors, added a few more elements, and then incorporated my photo of a crow. To me there's a sort of snowy look to the image, hence the name "Crow Snow." Chris says it's not one of his favorites, but I'm liking the colors, the feeling of movement, and the solitary bird.
Probably more than you ever wanted to know about my life, but there you have it. I live with raucous crows, a cranky cat, and an incredibly patient spouse. What else do you need to know?
©Carol Leigh
