So, admittedly, all I did this week outside of eat, sleep, and work, was run around the block where Bo and Lorena live taking pictures of their babies. Earlier in the week they were still fluttering awkwardly from branch to branch, but by the end of the week they were making short flights from one tree to another, also awkwardly.
They're starting to get the hang of it. But landing is still a challenge.
I shot these pictures from the ground, looking up at a pine tree at what had to be at least a 60 degree angle, to give you a better idea of how sloppy this landing was.
But the little one managed to scramble up to a better spot.
A couple days prior I had seen Lorena make a really weird landing into a spruce tree. I was wondering why she would do something so strange, but now that I've seen fledgling crows try to land, I realize she was just teaching.
Here's a couple shots from earlier in the week when one of them had gotten onto a little patio roof in someone's yard and was trying to figure out how to take flight back up to the trees again.
I found out later from one of the neighbors that the fledgling had gotten "stuck" underneath that little enclosed space. He tried to help guide the little one out, but Bo and Lorena apparently went crazy and were dive-bombing him, so he went inside and watched through a window as they ushered their kid to safety. It's pretty awesome how interested people have become in the Bo family, now. I'm admittedly pretty self-conscious about being that person who just stands around outside talking to the trees for hours every day, but it looks like I've gotten other people into the crow scene. It makes me glad to know more people are looking out for them.
I met another woman in the neighborhood who was very excited about my relationship with Bo. While she was asking me questions, Bo jumped onto my head and started doing his grumbly baby talk. This of course made the woman ask even more questions. I asked Bo what he thought, since he obviously wanted to be part of the conversation:
(Whenever he jumps on my head while I'm talking to someone it makes me feel like one of those wildlife educators that goes to elementary schools and answers questions about the exotic animal climbing all over them.)
On Saturday we ran into that woman again, and she introduced me to her husband and her cat. But I already knew that cat, thanks to Bo and Lorena. They've been very vocal, teaching the kids about dangers to avoid. I tried to have a conversation with her husband about crows, but there was so much cat shaming going on in the trees it wasn't really possible. I discovered that the reason they were so loud was because the babies were in the tree right above us, and right above the cat.
They're soooo funny-looking, with their pin feathers and pink feet and bubblegum gapes. (The gape is that pink part in the corners of their mouths.)
One of them decided to ditch the cat scene and flew across the street to a power line.
fledgling and moon
Bo and Lorena joined them.
Top to bottom: Bo, Fledgling, Lorena
A couple times one of them came down to meet us when I put food down for the parents.
And I got this awesome photo. They look sooo much like Bo. They also look a little like someone washed a crow in hot water a few too many times.
They only stayed for a second, then got nervous and took off. I caught this shot right before they sprung into flight.
I'm so in love.
When Bo and Lorena weren't chasing babies, they got a chance to clean out the leftovers from a jar of artisan organic walnut cashew butter. Bo loved it. Here he is devouring huge beakfuls and smacking his lips.
Even Lorena, who normally is wary of things she doesn't recognize, approached the jar.
And inspected it.
And gave it a try.
You can see a little bit of her tongue in this shot.
But for the most part it was feeding babies, chasing babies, and yelling at cats all week long.
I'm not sure how many fledglings there are. At first I thought there were three, and then I was afraid we were down to one. But at one point I caught this picture of two of them together, with a distinct hungry baby cry coming from somewhere else high in the tree.
So there might be three. Or more! They're pretty hard to spot. I didn't want to get too attached to them because fledglings don't often make it, but it's too late. I'm already attached.
How could I not be??
I hope you've enjoyed this blog! I make a weekly blog about the Bo family every weekend, and also post tons of pictures of crows and other birds (and sometimes dogs and other stuff I think looks neat). If this is something you're into, follow me, @corvidae, and if you like birds, join Feathered Friends!
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Art also available in NFT Showroom
Lorena and baby, mother and child
Thanks for stopping by!