I’m beginning to think that the astounding instinctual feeling we as humans all have in common is not a product of Big Brother but a passerine sensation.  You know, that spine-tingling feeling of being watched.    The sky is clear, the lake is spattered with a few rolling waves and the neighboring tree line is eerily devoid of sound.  The mid-morning sun has illuminated a stump that only makes its appearance in the heat of summer as the water gushes from the Shasta Dam.  I scanned the horizon for a few signs of life;  perhaps a deer would make its way to the lakeshore for an early drink, but I’m left disappointed.

A ragged pot hangs from my left hand, filled with morning leftovers, destined for scattering, and of which the contents have been lost to the passage of time.  After a less than strategic placement on the stump I walk back towards the boat dragging the empty container.  The hairs on my neck begin to rise as I realize the trees are but mere camouflage for a few opportunists.

Within half a minute the feathered forest residents made their descent upon that otherwise innocuous stump and capitalized on the bounty I literally just discarded.  Ok,  so I admit I set up the situation on purpose, but I had no idea the action would begin so quickly.  For those members of the Corvidae family had been keeping tabs on all my movements.  An intent interest that did not go unnoticed, of course, by passing Turkey Vultures…

And for those interested, the family Corvidae includes a hodgepodge of birds (~127 species) many of which are highly intelligent, adaptable and successful such as Blue Jays, magpies, ravens, and crows.  Crows and jays are some of the largest passerines (most American species are on the smaller side though), are predominantly arboreal, and the majority find themselves inhabiting wooded areas.  Crows are typically strong fliers with some able to remain airborne for long periods of time while engaging in aerial acrobatics.

Tags: Corvidae, crows, Lake Shasta, passerine, Turkey Vulture

This entry was posted by Scott on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pm and is filed under birds, Photos, Wilderness, Wildlife. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.