The crows have convened. A hawk has been spotted.
They wait for the bastard raptor to come out of hiding.
"Hawk! Hawk! Hawk!"
"Hawk! Hawk!"
"Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! Hawk! "
(Seriously, that's what it sounds like when this happens.)
Thanks to the vigilance of these brave corvids, I scored my favorite shot of the season:
They're so valiant! So brave!
And so vengeful.
During spring and summer, many crows are nesting and raising young. It's not easy to rally the troops when everyone is so busy protecting their own fledglings. A majority of crow babies are lost to predators like raccoons, owls, falcons, and hawks.
Come fall, when the surviving babies are bigger, the crows spend more time in large groups. They teach the young crows how to fend off predators. I am inclined to think that they are also seeking revenge. Or, at the very least, are teaching this juvenile red tailed hawk not to mess with the crows of Southeast Portland.
Hawk Force benefits the whole neighborhood. I have seen squirrels and all types of birds take cover at the sound of a crow's hawk alarm. Even pet chickens know what this call means.
Crows kick ass.
instagram: @se_pdx_crows
Art in NFT Showroom
A percentage of this post's rewards goes back to support the Photography Lovers Community and Feathered Friends. The rest goes to supporting me and my crow habit.
All the stuff (pictures, words, etc.) I put in this post and any of my other posts is mine (unless otherwise stated) and can't be used by anyone else unless I say it's ok.
