Big crop and some upscaling on this one, so the usual quality isn't there, but I couldn't resist. This Common Raven has made off with a nice meal - looks like a Canada Goose egg. There are lots of nesting geese along the marshy margins of Newton Lake. The raven probably planned its theft carefully; on my end, there was no planning or anticipation, just reaction. A cool moment - something I haven't seen before.
Photographed in the Frenchman River Valley at Newton Lake, near Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2022 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: Common Raven Corvus corax wildlife bird passerine corvid egg thief theft scavenger survival flight flying egg wild prairie Newton Lake Frenchman River Valley Val Marie Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page Explored
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Continuing the small critters set... which I find as satisfying as getting in close to the "glory" subjects (bears, moose, elk)... here is the genius of the bird world in North America. Bernd Heinrich wrote a wonderful book about them, Mind Of the Raven, that forced me to rethink my assumptions about ravens and bird brains in general. I no longer underestimate them. Every time one comes in close is special.
When I stopped to take a shot near the Columbia Icefields, this raven flew from the trees and landed at the roadside, no doubt hoping for a handout, no doubt conditioned by tourists who feed the animals (illegal, and I don't see it often - a woman in BC has just been fined $60,000 for feeding bears at Whistler, a judgement that I found heartwarming, because maybe, just maybe, the message has gotten out). At any rate, this raven was bound to be disappointed by me, although I may have kept it amused, because it watched as I got out of the car and lay flat on the road margin for this photo. Shooting down from the driver seat didn't work. The eye level view was much more intimate, and provided a nice background.
Photographed in Banff National Park, Alberta (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
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A pair of Common Ravens keep an eye on the photographer in British Columbia's Manning Park. I seldom pass up a photo op with ravens; geniuses of the bird world, they inevitably do something interesting. Here I was lucky: the perch they chose, on the branch of a dead tree, placed them against the green of a living tree behind them, rather than silhouetting their dark forms agains plain white sky.
Photographed in Manning Provincial Park, BC. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
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The two ravens (see post from a couple days ago) flew down from their dead tree perch. Both were experienced bandits, wise to the ways of humans. At this point I was sitting on the ground with my tripod, in front of my parked car; the rainy weather had kept most visitors away, and there were just the three of us at this popular high mountain roadside lookout.
I talked to them, asking for a pose: "Okay, now turn slightly sideways - thanks." Who knows what they thought; I didn't realize until later that they were probably more interested in the squashed grasshoppers and other insects on my car's grille than in cross-species conversation. Silly me. They must have thought I was jealously guarding my larder. More than once in the past, ravens have performed this mutually beneficial service, but on this day I was too focused on getting a decent portrait.
I wondered if I should digitally remove that streak of a raindrop slicing past the raven's neck. In the end, I left it alone. I am reminded of a photo editor in the mid-1990s who returned a set of slide dupes to me, worried that several images of fireweed had "long vertical scratches". These were raindrops, and I considered them part of the composition. As in any profession, photo editors are a mix of consummate professionals and pretenders unable to find their ass with both hands. I've worked with award winning designers who found grace and beauty in image sets that I thought were ordinary, and others who could not discern the difference between an outhouse and the Sistine Chapel. We are a strange lot.
It doesn't matter. Ultimately our work is an expression of our relationship with the world outside our skulls; if it's good, there will be a glimpse of something universal. Call it heart, or maybe soul. How others receive it is up to them. Some are going to "get it", and others will not. I like to think that most -perhaps all - of my Flickr friends are driven by a similar passion, and in fact I care more about what they (you) think than most of the designers and editors with whom I've worked over the years. I guess that is what defines "community". I'm here to share images and ideas. I'm more interested in comments than gold stars, and this is probably a good time to reiterate that I automatically block those who show up here and fave my work, but who have nothing of their own to offer. If anyone is offended by this, please google the verb "to share".
Photographed in Manning Provincial Park, BC (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
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The immature Bald Eagle flew down to the beach after the World's Coolest Bear left some salmon scraps on a good fishing day. Before long, the crows arrived. They were able to steal a few morsels, although they'd scatter when the eagle shifted position, especially with its wings outspread. This did not appear to be an aggressive move by the eagle, but rather a balancing act.
Meanwhile, the rain came down in a fine mist: we were damp but comfortable in our rain gear - except for Paul who was bone dry under his umbrella - and the sound of shutters filled the air. The salmon ran, the bears gave chase, and everyone with feathers wanted a piece of the action.
Photographed on the highly competitive coast of British Columbia (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Northwestern Crow Corvus caurinus wildlife bird raptor corvid eagle crow scavengers salmon scraps spawning season rocky beach wild shore coast coastal keystone species everything depends on salmon wild salmon natural resource competition murder of crows immature eagle juvenile British Columbia BC Canada copyrighted James R. Page
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