It is probably not a good idea to attribute human emotions to birds (“anthropomorphism”).
However, all of us who saw the tender motions of these two ravens this morning are tempted to do it.
They spent a considerable amount of time together:
Flying closely together is common among “courting” birds:
Some time was spent apart:
and there was some coming and going:
A nearby Sharp-shinned Hawk (these are about Blue Jay size) was showing interest in the raven couple:
Other birds:
Species list: trumpeter swan, Canada goose, mallard, red-breasted merganser, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, turkey vulture, ring-billed gull, herring gull, mourning dove, rock pigeon, hairy woodpecker, blue jay, common raven, black-capped chickadee, European starling, American robin, Swainson’s thrush, golden-crowned kinglet, house sparrow, northern cardinal, American goldfinch. (22 species)
Park views:
Today’s group:
NATURE POETRY
The hollow winds begin to blow,
The clouds look black, the glass is low;
The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep,
And spiders from their cobwebs peep. – Dr. Edward Jenner (1749–1823)
Miles Hearn
Well, I couldn’t help thinking , “awww”, until the Hawk appeared, when I went “oh oh!” Except that I did figure that the Ravens were probably too big to be prey for the Hawk. Great pictures, and of course, it’s always wonderful to see the Beautiful Bluffs!
thanks for the beautiful pictures,Miles….you really hit the jackpot today….must have been great to see all those birds….
Aside from the danger of interfering,
domesticating and encroaching their natural habitats, why are we so hesitant to anthropomorphize
other species? Scientific pursuits must beware, but painters, writers, poets, photographers and others have immortalized their beauty for a long time. With our eternal gratitude.
(All non-human species surely have their own anthropomorphic equivalent interpretation of other species too.)
If it fosters kinship with all species I really think it’s a good practice.
I look forward to your posts, especially now, and grateful for your generosity
of spirit.
of humans
Thank you for your
I agree with Mary’s comment. The aboriginal people believed animals had spirits and attributed human characteristics to them. Also Dr. Suzuki has shown that animals have feelings (fear,affection,contentment) in his studies of mammals and birds. Some humans use the excuse that a different species is not capable of feelings and consider themselves justified to treat animals in a callous manner.