I read about that, but the version I got had the crows actually smart enough, get this!, to drop the nuts on crosswalks-at-traffic-lights.
Why? Cuz then, after the cars had run over the nuts, the crows knew that -- at least some of the time -- at a place where people walked -- they wouldn't be bothered by the cars as they picked through the crumbles for the meaty bits. I'm tellin' ya, they're mind readers! Like all humans I've ever met. It's funny that crows speak to us without words, but humans, though doing this same thing all the time, insist that words are necessary. Walk into any room. FEEL THE PEOPLE. Everyone's a mind reader. Edg --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Edg, when I lived in Davis there were (and still are, I suspect) lots > of crows and Davis has lots of walnut trees, too -- big suckers with > lots and lots of walnuts. The crows like the walnuts and they'd > swoop down and pick them up and drop them over and over on the road > from maybe 20-30 feet up until they broke open. Long, hard work. > > However, after awhile some of the crows figured out that cars running > over the dropped walnuts really speeded up the fulfillment of their > walnut desires. There were spots in Davis where the crows would wait > with their walnuts until they saw a car coming along and then they'd > drop 'em on the road right before it passed so as to take advantage > of the big nutcracker. Lovely. > > Marek > > ** > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > Guys, > > > > Thanks for all the suggestions below -- I'll get those books. > > > > Meanwhile, here's something funny and touching: > > > > http://tinyurl.com/35wswq > > > > I just moved away from living on a lake where I watched over 60 > > species doing they thang right outside my window, and I was humbled. > > > > I had five crows that I interacted with, and their intelligence was > > never in doubt -- mine was! cuz I was having such a hard time with > my > > nose pressed up against the glass trying to see into their world -- > > their mindset. > > > > But they had no trouble understanding me -- they always seemed to > know > > exactly what I was up to. > > > > Smart critters. > > > > Then there's the time I had, count them, 12 turtles, some the size > of > > manhole covers, sunning themselves in "my" cove. There were musk > rats > > swimming everywhere, mallard ducks upending within, say, two inches > of > > the turtles, crows overhead, a mink on a fallen tree, and the > turtles > > didn't budge. I open my window, they all dived for safety. > > > > Don't tell me animals are anything but mind readers. > > > > Those prairie dogs with words that mean "human being seen" as > opposed > > to "coyote," are another example. > > > > And, yeah, I have a dozen house plants that I always talk to with > > great respect -- I jes lurves 'em, I do. > > > > Edg > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > > wrote: > > > > > > Curtis, same here; one of the things that I've always enjoyed > about > > > solo backpacking is the occasional interaction with non- > domesticated > > > animals. Sometime ago I posted an encounter with three bears at > the > > > end of a 4-day hike in the Marble Mountains a few years ago; one > of > > > my favorite trips for just that reason. (Message # 128281) > > > > > > One of the things I'm digging about surfing is hanging with the > seals > > > and the dolphins. What a world. > > > > > > Marek > > > > > > ** > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Excellent book Marek! I just put both of them on hold at the > > > library. > > > > I am a big fan of human animal communication. (evidenced by my > > > desire > > > > to post here!) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" > <reavismarek@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Comment and recommendation below: > > > > > > > > > > ** > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > **snip** > > > > > > > > > > > To tell you the truth, if you want real aliens to talk to, > why > > > > > > consider that famous parrot that died a few days ago. That > > > bird did > > > > > > more to me than any cropcircle -- that bird made me believe > in > > > > > animal > > > > > > minds being, as if, whole alien worlds that need traveling > to, > > > need > > > > > > understanding. Even with the astounding evidence of animal > > > minds > > > > > that > > > > > > are very sophisticated -- apes, birds, dogs, elephants, > > > dolphins, > > > > > > etc., the tabloids are trying to invent these whacky > goofyass > > > foci > > > > > of > > > > > > attention for the purpose of selling newspapers. To hell > with, > > > you > > > > > > know, anything real. > > > > > > > > > > > > Where's the billions put into animal research? What could > we > > > learn > > > > > > about the alien worlds of dolphin cultures that would > impact > > > our own > > > > > > cultural sensibilities? What if the dolphins are actually > > > speaking > > > > > a > > > > > > language that is as rich as our own? What if dolphins > create > > > > > artistic > > > > > > masterpieces of holographic sound that on the other side of > the > > > > > world > > > > > > a group of whales pause to appreciate? These opportunities > are > > > left > > > > > > unexplored, but, hey, we'd better try to contact aliens > we've > > > never > > > > > > contacted yet to date. > > > > > > > > > > > > I say, better for us to try to understand the species we > > > already > > > > > have > > > > > > at our doorsteps -- try to understand what's right here, > right > > > now. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > **snip to end** > > > > > > > > > > Edg, there's a couple of books by a guy, Eugene Linden, that > my > > > son > > > > > turned me on to, one of which is titled "The Octopus and the > > > > > Orangutan" and the other "The Parrot's Lament". Excellent > > > material > > > > > culled from interviews and visits with both the scientists > and > > > other > > > > > hands-on/eyes-on zookeepers who work closely with animals and > > > have > > > > > concluded that animal intelligence is actual factual and not > far > > > > > distant from our own in many ways. Basically, it's all > anecdotal > > > > > stuff that isn't publishable as science but to these > individuals > > > > > there is no doubt that the animals they're working with are > > > highly > > > > > sentient and lucid. > > > > > > > > > > For instance, on the simian side you've got a zoo orang who > > > > > manipulates a found wire into a lockpicking device, conceals > it > > > under > > > > > his bottom lip when not needed, and uses it to visit others > at > > > night > > > > > and to look for food that not locked up. In the cephalopod > > > corner > > > > > there are stories of octopi who break out of their own tank > > > during > > > > > the night and make the harrowing and frequently unsuccessful > > > journey > > > > > across bare linoleum to another tank in which either food or > a > > > > > possible mating opportunity exists. Lots more and all > absolutely > > > > > great stuff and a fine read. Recommended. > > > > > > > > > > Marek > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
