Show me a Photo Contest: Bird Silhouette

I'm so excited about this week's #smap contest Bird Silhouette!
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In the last month I learned of a location where my neighborhood crows meet in the evening to socialize and play. I believe these are mostly the juveniles and the mated pairs that were not successful with their nests this year. Because so many crows are busy with babies, others are missing out on the funs and games that crows enjoy with one another. They're lonely! So they've been gathering in this area to get some good company, and, I believe, also to roost together.

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Because this happens around sunset, the light is low, but in order to capture their fast movements, my camera's shutter speed needs to be high. That means not letting in a lot of light. Which means...
Silhouettes!

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I really love the way these look like mysterious crow hieroglyphics.

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The first night I came across this gathering I tried to be discrete. I didn't feed anyone, but nonetheless I was still recognized by some crows who knew me. They flew over to check out the refreshment situation.

I went back again a few nights later. The lighting was a little different, the sky a little more blue, but the sun was behind the trees so I still got silhouettes.

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If you look closely, you can see the crow on the bottom is holding something in their foot.

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The game of chase continued...

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And I followed them with my camera as they whizzed around the trees. Unfortunately, none of those photos turned out, but I did manage to track one of them as they flew up to a nearby wire.

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They fiddled with whatever the prize was for a while. I captured this silhouette.

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It's some kind of a seed pod from a tree, but it looks like it isn't ripe, and it's nothing I've ever seen crows eat before. So it was a ball game!
Lots of crow spectators gathered on the wires to watch the "games." I caught some video of them balancing in a synchronized dance on a wire before they flew off into the sunset.

I just love crows.

About a week ago I captured some shots of crows windsurfing together. The currents would come in big gusts, and everyone would shout and take to the air, soaring and swirling in the currents. This looks like some kind of musical composition. Anyone know how to sight read crow? I think it's in the key of... C. 😐

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And this one, my absolute favorite from that day and my official entry to the SMAP contest, three crows trying to land on the top of a pine tree as it whips around in the wind:

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Never a dull moment when watching crows be crows. It's very much like people watching, except that the crows are like very loud, playful, feisty flying people that don't mind when I stare. In fact, they seem to enjoy having an audience.


Thank you so much for taking the time to appreciate crows with me, and to look at my entry for this week's Show Me a Photo Contest in the Feathered Friends Community. If you like crows and other birds, follow me! And join the community!
Thank you @nelinoeva for the contest!

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Lorena, my crow friend 🖤

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