INSIGHTS

In the company of Crows

For as long as I can remember, I've always enjoyed being in nature and observing the birds and wildlife. Exploring a beautiful natural landscape or even a sensitively-managed nature reserve is where I feel totally free and at peace.

It's not until reading the book Crow Country by Mark Cocker that I really began to fully appreciate the Crow family, the Corvid genus, which comprises of 4 species in Britain. These are the Raven, Carrion Crow, Rook, and Jackdaw. (The Chough and more colourful Magpie and Jay are associated too but have their own genera.) The largest of the Crows is the Raven, which is a rarer sight where I am. It's the Rooks, Jackdaws and Carrion Crows that I see most often on my travels and find fascinating. The Rooks are perhaps the noisiest, with their distinctive caw, caw, caw, and are often seen in large community groups foraging the fields or gathering among their tree-top roosts. The Jackdaws, with their silvery-grey hoods and piercing pale eyes, are smaller than the Rooks but can often be found in their company. The dominant Carrion Crow tends to enjoy its own company or that of a mate, and is mostly seen alone, with its partner or in a very small family group. From a distance, it can be difficult to distinguish between the slightly larger Carrion Crow and the Rook. The Carrion Crow is all black with black beak. The adult Rook has a more pronounced bony ridge on its grey beak and has leg feathers giving the impression of them wearing baggy shorts.

Members of the Crow family are such intelligent birds. They have been seen to solve puzzles, use twigs as tools, and can remember the face of their friend or foe. The Carrion Crow, in particular, can sometimes befriend the human that has fed or rescued it.

Whenever I see the sky turning black with the flight of gathering Rooks or notice the curious stare of a lone Carrion Crow, I'm instantly drawn into their realm. Quite often, I'm moved and inspired by their presence. I'll take photos, and the birds often make their way into my digital art. They make their way into dreamtime too, as if they are the gatekeepers between this world and others.

I'm looking forward to continuing my exploration of the aerial and quite ethereal world of Crows. I imagine they have more secrets to reveal.

Mark Fenwick

Curiosities

What secrets does this Apophyllite crystal hold?

Purchased from a shop (possibly in Glastonbury) in the early 1990s then stored away and forgotten until 2012, this curious crystal has stories to tell. There is a rectangular apex finely etched on the top, and a little door on the side that has since detached and is a miniature replica of the parent crystal. Inside, it has floors as if information might be contained on each one like a compact disc. It has an incredible light about it and some say it holds a high vibration, offering a conduit to other dimensions. We wonder... did it once belong to a mystic? What was it used for? How will it evolve? Any ideas, please log-in and share in the comments.

What are you creating right now?

We'd love to hear about your travels, explorations and discoveries, and the creative projects that you’re working on. If you’re a member of the Creative Explorers Club and would like to share a few words and images for a future newsletter, please get in touch.

That's all for this issue.

Happy exploring and creating!

The Creative Explorers Club

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