Dashed out of the apt. this morning with just enough time to get to work. My car was down at the end of the block. High above Hollywood High School’s rooftop tennis courts, a crow sentinel was keeping up a regular caw-caw-caw. Often the crows forage on the sports field on quiet (as in weekend) mornings.
I’d almost reached the car when the crow was answered by ra’ak-ra’ak-ra’ak. I turned around, only to face the forest of Canary Island pine that is my block - planted down both sides of the street in the 1920s, 50, 60 meters high now? - somewhere up there was a familiar voice. Knowing I had to be behind the wheel in mere seconds, I started back down the street, scanning the boughs above. Luckily, the raven was sitting in the one tree whose crown was dead and bare. Still it answered the challenge of the crow caw for caw, and maybe hoping to summon its own reinforcements.
The raven was soon joined by two, three, four and five crows. More were speeding towards the pine. They landed on adjacent branches, not making much noise, but quickly surrounding the larger bird. After only a few seconds more, the raven lifted off and away south towards Sunset Boulevard.
One Comment
‘Nice pine tree you got here. Be a shame if something was to happen to it…’