08 November 2010
indomitable spirit with a black-cap
We learned to be patient observers like the owl. We learned cleverness from the crow, and courage from the jay, who will attack an owl ten times its size to drive it off its territory. But above all of them ranked the chickadee because of its indomitable spirit. Tom Brown, Jr.
13 September 2010
Forest for the Trees
The fine art photography of Myoung Ho Lee seems like particularly apt for a post today as
my students and I are critically writing and discussing about the purpose of a liberal arts education using two phrases "Don't miss the forest for the trees" and "a picture is worth a thousand words" as prompts. The following interview with Lee gives context to deeper meaning in these photos.
07 September 2010
Always in Its Element, No Matter the Weather
This story reminds me of the potential of doing some sort of great landscape art at Zena Farm and Forest. I think the intentional planning of the groundwork to "degrade" through time might be of particular value in teaching ecological time.
29 August 2010
Hardworking Landscapes Tame the Storm
This story made me think about all that could be done with the Mill Race on Willamette University campus. It would be great to find ways to add some plantings stream side in order to slow water down in storms.
27 August 2010
Urban tree survey in UK a great idea for WU
I would love to start implementing these procedures in Salem OR in the area around Willamette University.
31 May 2010
A Bird in the Hand and the Bush
This is the first fledgling crow I have seen in Salem this year and unfortunately it was not doing very well. I ran to the lab to get a George Bush mask so that when I picked it up and the parents spotted 'me' they would not associate my face with the handling of their chick. You can tell it is a hatch year crow because the eyes are cloudy blue and the mouth is pink. When the mouth is closed you can still see a pink gape flap at the base of the bill. The naked patch on the lower abdomen and relatively large legs and feet are also typical. The resting on the wrist joint is also typical at this stage and the youngster in fact can not yet walk. Although this youngster could flap a bit it can not yet fly. This is very common among crows that they fledge before they can really fly and it is important that you leave them alone so the the parents can continue to feed them as they get stronger and develop the leg and wing muscles to truly escape. It can be a week on the ground for these early fledglings and the most successful ones stay hidden under bushes and in thick cover with the occasional contact call to their parents. In the few minutes I photographed this crow and moved it to safety a flock of 9 crows starting mobbing 'George.' This is the first time I have worn a mask during something that the Willamette University crows would treat as an enemy. George Bush had been a neutral mask in our experiments with benevolence over the last year, but now his reputation is made!
If you want to learn more check out
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)