On our trip to Yosemite last week, a pair of ravens were foraging among the trees outside our hotel room. They were totally unfazed by me as I followed them around.
It was an interesting day to shoot ravens. Everyone knows ravens are black. But black just means that its feathers absorb all frequencies of color and reflect none back. Like some other birds, the raven’s feathers can refract or bend light, allowing their feathers to appear other colors. When the birds were in bright light, they were their bright, familiar, black. But, when they were in lower light, depending upon how they positioned themselves, their wing and tail feathers appeared blue. In one other instance, the light hit the raven’s ruff under his chin and made it look brown.
Is it a raven or is it a crow. If its big and bulky and it makes a croaking sound, its probably a raven. If its smaller and makes the familiar caw, its probably a crow. But, sometimes its not so simple. I am collecting images to put together a simple but more complete illustrated guide.
Please click on caption to image at a larger size.
These and other images are available for purchase at my website, www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.
Earthwatcher 