Judith

Crows are omnivorous, but the major consumers of baby  birds are squirrels, chipmunks and snakes.  Squirrels and chipmunks spend as much time in trees as on the ground and eat whatever they find in the trees, including baby birds, that will provide the nutrients they need to survive and reproduce.  Crows do, on occasion, eat baby birds, but they have a wide variety of food sources. There is a crow's nest high in the pine across the street--and another around the corner in a neighbor's yard.  There is a small group of crows here that congregate on the local water tower, in the tallest trees and on our roofs.  They seem to have places that they go during the day--unless there is something of concern like a hawk or other danger that causes them to rally and sound the alarm that danger is near. I live in northwestern Oregon and have not encountered ravens here.  I love their gutteral calls and am always amazed at their size in comparison to crows. The songbirds at my feeder probably appreciate the crows calling to warn of predators.  Mice, rats, moles and voles in my yard also appreciate an early warning that a predator is near.

Hi! I was one of the first to graduate with an environmental education degree from Cornell.  My career took me in a different direction, but I have never lost my love of nature and have fond memories of spending hours on field trips observing plants, animals, insects, weather patterns, etc.  Now that I have retired, I want to return to my first love.  I love to write, but don't feel confident in my ability to draw or paint.  I took a class with Claire Walker Leslie about 22 years ago.  I was the only real beginner in the class, but I learned so much from Claire and from all of my classmates.  I just moved back to Portland, Oregon.  I am beginning to discern what I will do with the rest of my life.  This class will help me get back outdoors (when we have a dry spot in this rainy season) and back to exploring and learning from the world of nature.  I liked Shayna's method of incorporating writing, drawing, questions and learning.  I look forward to my own observation and learning--and hope to increase my skill in faithfully drawing what I have observed! Judith M