Corvids

For the most part it has been much too cold to take my camera out, but I did nip down to the little forest down the street for a short time at the beginning of the week.  The very first creature I saw was a Coyote, unfortunately the image I got was not in anyway good enough to add to this post.  Better luck next time.

After taking photos of some lovely House Finches, I came upon a Magpie who decided posing for me would be a good thing.

House Finch male

House Finch female

Black billed Magpie

Magpies, are in plentiful supply here in Alberta and are considered to be pests by many people.  However, they are handsome birds, with their black and white suit, and iridescent long tail.


Not long after taking photos of this beauty, I thought I heard a Pileated Woodpecker and followed the sound.  I heard it several times, coming from different directions.  Which was entirely too odd, given the speed with which he seemed to change directions.

It turns out Mr. Raven was playing tricks on me by mimicking  the woodpecker.  This is something that Raven's are very good at and provided me with a chuckle.  Raven's are capable of mimicking many animals, as well as human speech and sounds.  I heard a Raven mimic human laughter once, if that doesn't make a person smile I don't know what does.

Mr Raven showing off his tail

Perched in a tree

The Raven was flying from one tree to another and finally announced his presence with a deep croak.  I have seen a lot of this particular Raven, he is easily distinguished by a very deep voice.  Unfortunately, unlike the Magpie, he did not like to be photographed, although I did get some very nice photos anyway.

Enjoy,
Susan