Spending time with local wild crows | 2020–present
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I have had a nodding/occasionally chatting relationship with my local crows for years. In December 2020, I started giving them snacks sometimes. At this writing (February 2024), I’ve seen four generations of the same family, usually a couple of times a week except during nesting-time. They are my silver lining from the pandemic; I wouldn’t have been able to develop this relationship with them before I started working from home full-time.
The Crowtime project has been a complete joy. In addition to the artistic outlet, spending time with these crows has involved semi-scientific observation, learning what different calls mean, seeing what foods they like best (yes, I have cooked for them), and a genuine sense of connection and camaraderie.
Most of the Crowtime images are tight crops of video screen-captures, so the resolution is quite low. To get an image I enjoy (and that “feels like Crowtime” to me), I have run most of them through the Prisma app to choose a filter that feels true to the moment. The three images above use Prisma filters (l-r) Leya, Thota Vaikuntam, and Spruce.
P.S. This is not at all the point, but it is a frequently-asked question: Do the crows bring me trinkets? From time to time, yes: A shiny foil star, a glob of red glass, a pink rabbit-fur puff, a single airpod, and a broken keychain—a copper split-ring (big enough to fit the base of my thumb) with about 1.5 inches of copper chain hanging from it.