Crows: Fascinating Creatures

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“Keep to Nature’s heart….and break clear away,

 once in a while, climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods,

wash your spirit clean” –John Muir.

 

The last couple of days were just cold.  The temps barely crawled out of the teens and the wind chill was always in the negatives.  Today has been a little warmer plus the sun is shining brightly which always seems to make everything seem more pleasant.

Since the weather has been colder than I really like, I have been spending my free time just driving around in my car. No matter what I do like to get out for a little while.  If I can’t get out and walk around, I will go for a short drive.  I originally was out to find Snowy Owls to photograph.  I know, they are in the area.  But I have only seen one. Of course, I did not have the camera I wanted to use at the time.

I did park my car at the public access to watch what types of birds were around.  The area was mostly quiet except for these Crows.  Now to be honest, I have always been fascinated with Crows and Ravens.  There is just so much mythology and folklore surrounding these birds, I can’t help but be interested.

Crows are very intelligent little creatures.  Here are some quick facts about the Crows intelligence.

  • Crows can remember your face.
  • Crows will often work together in a manner that is almost conspiring in nature. If there is an obstacle in the way of getting to a food source; Crows will work together to overcome the obstacle and achieve their goal.
  • Crows memories are so good; they can go to the exact location where they have hidden food away for later consumption. They actually will hide food in different places to get them through the colder months when food sources are scarce.
  • Crows actually have the ability to display signs of happiness, sadness and anger.

So as I watched this group of Crows (also known as a murder of Crows), I was wondering if they were watching me as much as I was watching them.

 

Sun Halo and Sun Dog

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“There is no better designer than nature.” Alexander McQueen

Each time I find something new or unique in nature, I think of the above quote.

I am one of those people who will pull over alongside of the road to take a photo of whatever interests me.  I can’t help it, I love photographing anything I want to research or learn more about especially when the phenomenon involves nature. Today was no different.

The sun was shining brightly but as I drove around.  I noticed a ring around the sun in the form of a rainbow.  I was instantly intrigued. Of course, I did not have my good camera with me.  But I had my little pocket camera that goes everywhere with me.  I pulled off the side of the road and snapped a few photos.

Sun Dog

I figured there had to be a formal name for what I witnessed, so I started researching this evening. The ring forming around the sun is known as a 22˚ degree halo or sun halo.  Basically, the ring forms around the sun when sunlight passes through ice crystals in the clouds.  And, yes the temperature has to be 22˚ degrees.

Sun Dog 2

The bright spots on the side have another name. “At the points on the 22° halo which are on a horizontal line with the sun, the arc commonly broadens to two bright spots”, the phenomena is known as a sun dog  (HyperPhysics, n.d.).  I had never seen one of these before today.  In fact, my mother was with me and she stated the same fact.

Sun Dog 3

Reference

HyperPhyics (n.d). The 22˚halo. Retrieved from: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/halo22.html

 

The Sun Started to Set, the Fog Began to Roll In

Posted on by Rebecca C.

The weather almost reached 50˚F this afternoon.  Definitely a rarity for December in Michigan, the temperatures are supposed to slowly drop tomorrow as rain begins to move in.  But we may actually have a little snow on Christmas Day, just enough to cover the ground.  We will see if I get my white Christmas or not.

I originally went outdoors to photograph some birds.  My feeders were being overrun with Sparrows, Titmouses, and Black Capped Chickadees.  I love these diminutive birds; they seem to “chirp” at me when I just step out the door.  Trust me; they are all very vocal when the feeders are low.

.SparrowSparrow

SparrowChickadee

After a while, my attention turned to the clouds.  They were just beautiful.  One person on my Facebook page describes the clouds as a “stairway to heaven.”  The stunning array was a perfect setting as the sun slowly began to sink below the tree lines.

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As soon as the sun started to set, the fog began to roll in….sounds like a good beginning for a book.

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The sun was already beginning to set in the above photo, but the clouds were still gorgeous.

Fog Rolling In

 

The fog rolled across the field, I actually watched the mist cover the ground.  I found the experience fascinating.

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The sun was setting, but the fog just covered the bottom of the ground.

I am sure there are better more scientific words to describe the fog, the clouds and the sun.  But I just like photographing the natural world around me.