I was outside this morning clearing a runway for my wife to fire off to work, and had started on my own section, when I noticed the sunrise. There was a golden torch peeking over Buffalo Hill that brightened perceptibly as I shoveled, finally becoming too bright to look at just prior to the sun peeking over the treetops. I had ceased working to watch; then noticed a fine icebow arc, one end of which started at Anne Marie's house. Finally a single RAVEN exploded out of the sunlight, coming straight towards me. As it passed, I clearly heard a two-part vocalization, like wood thrushes do. One part was a guttural chatter, the other a much higher-pitched chatter. The two chatters matched note for note. Clearly a friendly greeting. As it flew off, it signed goodbye with a series of notes identical to a black-billed cuckoo. What gloriousness in the midst of drudgery!
Steve Fast Brooktondale -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
