A Snake, A Crow, and An Eclipse
It’s been a busy week of new experiences. Each one offering a chance to learn together. As the post title suggests, the three which stand out involve a snake, a crow, and an eclipse. Not all within the same experience; which is perhaps for the best.
A Snake
We spent a day at a local nature reserve, Lower Moor. As always, the area was teeming with seasonal wildlife. And as always, it was a study in tranquility. We came across other nature watchers in one of the lakeside hides. This was a great opportunity for our son to talk to new people about his own interests, and enjoy spotting animals in and around the lake. Our fellow enthusiasts were particularly interested in the myriad species of dragonflies which are around at the moment. For me though, the highlight of our visit was a grass snake, seen swimming away from us towards an island.
With multiple routes around the site, well positioned hides, and varied terrain, this reserve has plenty to fill a day. Our son hopes to return very soon for more adventuring.
A Crow
The following day, we adopted a juvenile crow. This was destined to be a short term adoption. Although we regularly offer shelter to those in need, we don’t have the right sort of environment for a crow. Wood mice, hedgehogs, pigeons, and more recently a dazed robin, have all been guests. The crow was our first corvid resident. How we came to take the crow is unfortunately a common story. Young bird found looking abandoned, removed by well-meaning children, and thereby taken from its parents. Fortunately, the rescuers came across one of our friends, and passed the bird over. They, in turn, kept it somewhere cool and quiet until I could get there.
In the heat of the day, with no idea where the bird was from, and in an area popular with people, and other animals, we took it in. Keeping the crow fed and sheltered was no issue. My main concern was that I would imprint on the bird, making its release into the wild both more difficult, and more dangerous. Coupled with my inexperience of working with corvids (barring two orphaned magpies raised by my parents many years ago), the best option for the crow was to find a specialist.
Enter Aimee Wallis, of Corvid Dawn Wild Bird Rescue. With many years’ experience of caring for corvids, and other birds, Aimee was an ideal option for this crow. Fortunately, there was room at the sanctuary, and other young crows the bird could begin socialising with. And so our brief adoption ended, with the crow tucked safely in Aimee’s car to begin its next adventure.
An Eclipse
Finally, a cloudy day on Thursday for the partial solar eclipse. With specialist glasses ready, we sat in the garden watching wildlife while waiting for a break in the sky. Our patience was rewarded when the clouds parted at around 11.15 am, offering a sight of the Sun.
The partial eclipse occurred when the Moon passed between Earth and the Sun, blocking a portion of the Sun. It’s hard to comprehend the scale of what we are witnessing. The Sun is around 400 times further from Earth than the Moon is, and it’s also around 400 times larger than the Moon. Which means that viewed together, both look to be a similar size. Hence, if the orbit aligns, the Moon can block the Sun completely during a full eclipse.
Technicalities aside, celestial events give me hope for humanity. I find it profoundly moving to see people around the world coming together to witness our Solar System in motion. Whether an eclipse, or sunrise and sunset, humans are drawn to the wonder and beauty of the occasion. Explaining the mechanism of the eclipse to our son, I felt a familiar chill of excitement as we thought about the vastness of space, and all that is out there to be discovered.
The end of the week has arrived, and I find myself wondering what will be next week’s snake, crow, and eclipse equivalents. As always, I imagine that adventure and new learning will fill at least part of the time. Enjoy the weekend, and thank you for reading.
An enjoyable read. As a boy I rescued a young Crow. He did stay with me for many months eventually enjoying a ride on my shoulder when I cycled around the lanes nearby, Eventually s/he was coaxed back into the wild and with great pleasure returned regularly to the back garden for scraps of food.
With regards to our universe Brian Cox has brilliantly been exploring our own galaxy and those millions of others that we are sust a speck in. Are we alone? Are the building blocks of life, as we know and understand it, out there somewhere?
They’re beautiful birds, and so intelligent. Having a crow companion would be a real privilege. We have a pair here who drop into the garden, dwarfing all the other birds! We currently have many fully fledged magpies following their parents around, and demanding food.
Anything to do with space will always capture my imagination. There’s such a lot we still don’t know.