The Bright Side: Black Beauties

Brilliant sunshine streams through the windows this morning. That golden glow belies the fact that the temperature is in the single digits. Winter has finally arrived. The calendar proclaims we are well past mid-January. A couple of very light snows and the falling temperatures finally have the weather and the calendars in agreement. A sure sign that it is winter is the return few the juncos. They scurry around beneath the pines often joined by a few gold finches and sparrows. This week the red-bellied woodpecker returned to Cementville. Is it the same one that stayed with us last winter? Maybe. He perches on the suet feeder and pecks away. The smaller birds ignore him. They also ignore the black beauties that I love so well.

This morning there were seven crows beneath the pines. They walk around like chickens, pecking at the ground. Their long beaks throw the brown pine needles in the air as they look for sunflower seeds and other morsels. The sunshine glints on those black beaks. They shine like polished metal. Their backs are iridescent in the bright sun as they walk to and fro devouring the sunflower seeds. Like chickens, if one crow finds something interesting, they all run over to examine the treasure. Occasionally one will do the ‘crow hop’ across the frozen ground. There is a dance the Native Americans enjoy called the ‘crow hop’ which mimics this dance of the crows.

Standing at the kitchen window, I watch these black beauties for several minutes. I am happy that the flock is growing. Earlier in the season, only three crows came to the feeders. Today we have seven. One walks over and pecks at the frozen piece of orange on the ground. I am out of grapes which they devour with gusto. I put out hunks of oranges the other day. Not the crows’ favorite, but most of the birds peck at the orange offerings. Suddenly something spooks the crows and they fly away altogether in a unit. They communicate silently.

There is much mystique surrounding crows. Some people hate them, others like me love them. When I as a very young child living near Helmsburg, I developed a lasting affinity with crows. One of our neighbors had a pet crow. My brother and I often visited this neighbor a recent soldier home from WWII who lived in a tent on the banks of Bean Creek. How he came to have a pet crow that could talk, I do not know. I do know the crow quickly adopted my brother, Red, and me. We spent way too much time along that creek bank. I hope we did not pester the man too much. I am sure he had a name, which I do not remember. Nor do I know why our Mother allowed us to develop this friendship. Looking back on this part of my childhood makes me question so many issues, including my parents' ability to parent. My father was still living in Indianapolis during our sojourn in Brown County, coming home occasionally to create excitement or havoc. One never knew what the moods of the adults would bring to our lives. We persisted and have lived to tell the tales. I digress. Back to the soldier and his crow. What I remember about the man is that he had a quiet voice, was tall and lanky, and seemed to enjoy teaching us things. He never lost his temper or yelled. He taught the crow to talk and was willing to share his time and this marvelous creature with us. I have often wondered what happened to him and why he was living along the river bank.

Crows can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They belong in the family Corvidae along with Jays and Magpies. Their voices are harsh and raucous. Do not expect a morning serenade from a crow. Omnivorous they will eat just about anything. They adapt well to any living conditions, frequently making their homes in urban areas. They lay 4-6 dull green spotted eggs in the nest which is a mass of twigs and sticks lined with feathers and grass. Crows are very intelligent, some claim their intelligence rivals that of the chimpanzee. They use tools, have remarkable memory, and will bring you a gift if you befriend them. They will also steal shiny things, which they will share with

their friends. They consume enormous amounts of harmful insects, but can also pick your cherry tree clean.

I believe humankind has developed a love-hate relationship with these marvelous creatures. The folklore surrounding crows would fill a book. Crows are thought to bring messages good or bad, from the spirit world. Crows or their cousins the ravens are spirit animals for many people. Another belief is that if you see one crow bad luck is coming your way, two crows mean good luck, three crows mean health and four crows mean wealth. If you spot five crows sickness is coming. Crows are often associated with death. Witches had crows as familiars in stories of old. I suppose owls are the only other bird that rivals crows in the mystic area. One thing that has always irked me is the way cartoonists and artists will paint a crow with a yellow beak. Crows are black, from beak to tail they glow as a piece of ebony jet.

As I was busy writing this, the crows returned. I could hear their chatter as I typed. Then all was silent. My friend and neighbor, Penny, tells me the hawk returned. That is way silence fell on Cementville this morning.

‘til next time,

Annie

This article originally appeared on Evening World: The Bright Side: Black Beauties