Corvid-2020 weekly Challenge #10

 

My wonderful friend Tracy from over at Reflections of An Untidy Mind started a lovely new blog challenge nine weeks ago – the Corvid 2020 Weekly Challenge.

Here’s a little snippet from her, so you know what it’s all about:

“Corvids are birds belonging to the Corvidae family, encompassing ravens, crows, magpies, jays and nutcrackers. So peruse your corvid photo, poetry, music and story archives and join the challenge.

You can participate in the Corvid-2020 Weekly Challenge by creating a pingback to this post (my pingback approval settings are set up for manual approval, so it may take a little while for your pingback to appear) and/or by leaving a hyperlink to your submission in the comments. Tag your post Corvid-2020 or C20WC. I really do hope you will join in.”

 

 

Today we’re back to the Hooded crows – they’re definitely superior in numbers around here!

When I watched this one at a little stream, it eyed me very suspiciously, thanks to my reflective lens of my camera that no doubt looked to him like a gigantic eye.

It was clear that he/she very much wanted a drink, but wasn’t quite ready to turn his/her back to me.

 

Hooded crow glancing at me over its shoulder 

 

So I sat very still, not even daring to breath, when finally the crow gave in and dunked its beak into the water.

 

Taking a sip

 

After which it took immediate flight, which sadly I didn’t catch.

 

And getting ready to take off!

 

This little episode reminded me very much of a passage in one of my favorite books, The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis:

“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I am dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I — could I — would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to — do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.”

 

This also related a lot to me today because I’ve spend hours on public services, where it’s still mandatory to wear a mask, and I was getting more thirsty by the minute but didn’t dare lifting my mask, since the train was unusually packed.

So imagine my relief when I finally got home where I had a huge glass of water first, then green tea, and now am placidly sipping my coffee. 😉