Crow

6/8/14 Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink, Stillman & Birn Gamma sketchbook

Greg noticed the pair of crows perched on our lilac tree yesterday while he was working in the yard. Perhaps they have a nest nearby, although if they do, it’s probably in one of the much taller trees in neighboring yards. This pair seemed unconcerned about his proximity and were generally lackadaisical.

One of the pair spent much of this morning resting on our neighbor’s trellis. As ubiquitous as crows are, I haven’t had many opportunities to sketch them, so when I saw that this one wasn’t going anywhere, I stepped outside quietly with my sketchbook. I’m wondering if it is sick or injured, as its feathers lack the sheen of other crows, and it seems lethargic. During the 20 minutes that I stood there, it nodded off several times like an old man watching TV in a recliner. At the same time, it remained alert, snapping to attention and turning its head when the dog that lives behind us came out and again when the other crow sounded an alarm. Even after I had filled three pages with small studies, it remained on the trellis.

Photo by Greg Mullin