Sunlight through Bo's sublingual pouch. Cool shot, isn't it? Makes him look like a dragon. But the real reason it looks like that is because he's been stretching out that pouch like crazy, filling it with food for his growing babies. Here you can see how bald it is underneath his bill.
He's a hardworking dad.
SPEAKING of him being a dad, I spent the entire week trying to get pictures of the babies, who were climbing all over the nest and squawking their cute little heads off. It was super challenging, but I did get this picture of someone looking down at me.
I showed that to a friend and he asked me how the heck I managed to get baby seal up in Bo and Lorena's nest. And all this time I thought I was taking pictures of yetis...
Still looks pretty though, I think.
(You can follow her on Instagram @ the.morning.murder and me @ se_pdx_crows for more crow stuff.)
I've read about this behavior before and seen pictures, but I've never had it happen in my presence, let alone so close to me. From what I understand, crows do this on hot days to cleanse their bodies of parasites. I think it must also feel good, too, because she was drifting off a bit, and didn't even care when cars drove by.
Cutest zombie ever. If you want to see a youtube video of her sunbathing, click here.
Hard to believe it was pouring down rain earlier in the week. Here's a wet Bo.
I brought them both some fresh water.
Bo the crow fountain:
Lorena getting a cool sip after her sunbath:
Here's a cute picture I took through a hole in a wooden fence. Bo was on the other side, collecting bugs from someone's lawn. He saw me taking pictures and gave me his knowing Bo smile.
All these pictures are cute and informative, sure, but you know what you really want to see?
You really want to see this little blue-eyed muppet version of Bo:
The babies are starting to leave the nest!!!
This little one was in a tree halfway down the street from the nesting tree. I believe there are still two more on the nest, climbing around like flying monkeys. Here is a video of Lorena feeding this little baby.
I'm so excited to finally be able to see these little kids in person!! I know they have already seen me plenty, peering down at me with their superb little bird eyes. I can't wait to get to know them.
I am also scared. The survival rate for fledglings is low. Most of the time only one survives, and I have read that new parents can often lose all of their babies due to inexperience. I have absolute faith in Bo's intelligence, but I will be devastated if these little ones don't make it. I know he and Lorena will be, too.
The mean cat has been prowling around. Both Bo and Lorena have been screaming at him. I even tried to scare him off with flash photography, sounds that are supposed to deter cats, and my dog. He just stayed put and hissed like a cougar.
I learned from a neighbor that he killed one of her chickens, once. She found out because he dragged the bird home to his house and the owners reached out to her.
I'm considering getting a squirt gun...
On a lighter note, Bo and Pilot have gotten closer. Quite literally. I invented a new game for Bo that involved snatching snacks off of Pilot's back. It took him a minute, but he did it.
I'm hoping that the babies and Pilot will play together. We'll see.
I hope you've enjoyed this blog! If you would like to learn more about my friendship with Bo, check out An Unexpected Friendship. My Bo Land posts are weekly, and I post a lot about crows and other birds. If you like this kind of stuff, follow me! And join Feathered Friends!
Have a great day!