Are We Intelligent Enough……To See?
A True Story
© Robin Easton - All Rights Reserved
A dear friend photographed me 'calling in' a beautiful pair of ravens who lived high atop this small, rocky mountain. The raven couple often came out to eagerly greet me and soar mere feet above my head. I reached out my arms, a natural gesture that ravens seem to resonate with...my wings. In this humble 'reaching' I felt so close to their effortless flight far above Earth's surface.My first in-depth raven experience occurred while walking a trail out beyond the Santa Fe Community College here in New Mexico. On that unforgettable day, I called-in a pair of ravens who soared far off on the horizon. After we called back-and-forth a few times, the ravens flew in close, just above my head. Our conversation grew friendly and interactive with varied soft, deep chortles.
Eventually, the larger raven flew off, calling out as he headed west. About three minutes later he flew back to me, leading ten more ravens. Another few minutes passed and this same large raven flew off in a different direction, only to come back with another group of ravens. He did this three times until roughly thirty ravens surrounded me.
I was in awe of their large black wings so close, “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.” The sky swirled with ravens who slowly glided about my head and body, making beautifully soft, throaty sounds. The entire flock of ravens stayed to converse and interact with me for at least two hours. Many eventually landed and walked about the ground within five feet of my bare toes.
When they gradually began to leave, a few at a time, three of the ravens tried to teach me to fly, patiently showing me over and over how it was done. They ran along the ground, flapped their wings and lifted off. They flew only a few feet, circled back, made sure I was watching, then repeated the demonstration several more times. They called out to me, wanting me to go with them. That day remains an unforgettable memory, my most treasured raven experience.
Intelligent beauty glides gently above my head.I have been adopted many times, and have often lived in communion with the same raven couple (and their offspring) for several years. Whenever I have moved, it has been grievously painful to leave my raven friends behind. And, if I ever return, even months or several years later, they always remember me in a joyous reunion of familial soft chortles.
Although ravens are very family oriented, they don’t always warm to people right away. They might encounter a person several times before deciding to adopt them into their family. However, once they embrace you, they will fly out to greet you whenever you enter their territory. Sometimes, I have been adopted by ravens within minutes of meeting them, other times it takes a few meetings.
Their response to us humans (or any other species) can be determined by many things. They might have been observing us for some time, and already know us as a safe human. Other times, they might be very wary and assertively vocal because we are too close to their nesting area and young. They also might have been previously abused by humans: shot at, had things thrown at them, been aggressively shouted at with anger, and so on.
Another factor is how we are feeling within ourselves. Many of us humans are not comfortable being in our own bodies, so our energy tends to push outward from us in restless agitation. We are not calm and contained…silent. Our energy is loud and intrusive. Ravens can sense a calm or an agitated person, a fearful or angry person, and more. All of these emotions can make ravens either more relaxed or more alert and cautious.
Many ravens not only thrive on interaction, but they are exceedingly inquisitive. Once they know what type of person you are, they share this information with their neighboring flocks of ravens. They never forget a face, even if you are wearing different clothing or a hat the next time they see you. They remember who is kind to them, as well as who has threatened them.
Ravens are so keenly smart that once they adopt a human or other species, they observe the habits, needs, and preferences of their new family member. They often watch over and protect their adopted human (or other adopted species). They have even been known to protect the adopted family member’s children or young, as well as their ‘pets’, or even their property such as a car or other belongings.
Soaring down the mountain, from ‘Raven Cliff'....to greet me. One deeply moving characteristic of some ravens is that they love to give gifts. Some scientists dispute raven-gift-giving, but I have found ravens who really love gift-giving. When a human or other species daily walks the same path, ravens in the area notice this. They sit somewhere near the path and observe this person’s behavior. Once they deem this human to be safe, they might daily fly to the path and await the approach of that human, cat, dog, or other species.
I always sense when ravens are testing me, like a bunch of behavioral scientists observing my response to certain sounds and stimuli. They are patient and persistent teachers, and have a highly sophisticated ability to demonstrate (or teach) their language, and their method of flight, play, and other actions.
Ravens also have a complex, varied language filled with knocks, ticks, clicks, harsh grating sounds, gurgles and chortles, screams, caws, and piercing warning sounds. They can imitate humans, dogs, cats, other birds, even mechanical sounds, and—if we are lucky to hear it—the sound of dripping water. Exquisite!
These Beautiful Beings are so breathtakingly intelligent that I am left feeling the infancy of my own awareness. Their studied-curiosity and observational skills are equal to--and might even surpass--that of some scientists. All too often, the intelligence of ravens and other species is underestimated by us not-so-humble humans.
Once we get to know these magnificent black birds, we begin to recognize and feel their acute intelligence, playfulness, and devotion to family. Usually, a pair of ravens mates for life after a complex aerial courtship and preening of feathers. I have often spotted raven mates flying together like a pair of aerial figure skaters, mirroring and complementing each other’s dips and turns.
A devoted couple, still monogamous after many years.About five years ago I suddenly had to move from my home in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just outside Santa Fe, NM. I then spent a brief time living in a motel in Santa Fe until I found another suitable home. After living so close to the mountains, I felt distressed to be in the city. I was used to daily, barefoot hikes into wild, rugged terrain. However, my car was momentarily at the auto-shop, so I continued my early morning treks along the sidewalks near the motel.
The morning I checked into the motel, and every day during my morning walk, I noticed a group of ravens raiding the motel dumpster for leftover continental breakfasts. They knew the motel’s morning routine like clockwork. They even knew the parking lot routines. They watched and waited for the young workers who drove through Burger King, parked their cars, ate their lunches, and threw their leftover Whoppers, fries, and an occasional shake out the window. The ravens were well-fed, but I sadly doubted it was the healthiest food for these beautiful beings. I felt they deserved so much more. Maybe we all do.
I hoped I might discover a nearby park, a walking trail through a field, or some other patch of untouched Nature. A couple of days into my exploratory walks, I found a trail out beyond the motel. The first part of the trail took me along a cedar-post-fence, where large pinion trees cast cool shadows. It appeared to be a designated walking trail with well-maintained gravel….and yet, I never met another hiker. The invigorating caress of jagged rocks under my bare feet allowed me to quickly reconnect to the Living Earth. Walking that rocky path was an exhilarating way to greet the morning.
After my first couple of dawn walks, the ravens who hung around the motel, took an interest in me and began to follow me along the trail. One morning I started a conversation with them by making soft throaty sounds that I knew to be their friendly and familial greetings.
The four ravens stood still and silent on the cedar-post-fence, almost like carved ebony statues…just staring at me, watching. Suddenly, one of the beautiful statues sprang to life, responding to my invitation to connect. He spritely hopped along the cedar-fence next to me. His movements were like a sidestepping-line-dancer, as he pushed the others along the fence, whether they wanted to dance or not. All the while he eagerly repeated my sounds back to me. Back and forth we chortled. He craned his neck forward and tipped his head for a better look at my face. I almost heard him say, “Who is this talking…like me? I want to remember this human.”
From then on, the four ravens sat on the fence every morning as I approached the walking trail. However, it was only the animated ‘line-dancer’ that actively conversed with me, while the other three occasionally ‘chirped' in. I loved these conversations that quickly became part of my morning routine. I was always struck by how acutely aware the ravens were….of me.
Breathless beauty that actually wants to connect…with me. I am humbled to tears. My heart yearns to fly away with the ravens. One morning I noticed a black feather on the ground in the spot where the ravens always met me. As I picked it up, I saw how intently all four ravens watched me, as if waiting for a reaction. In sheer delight I turned and asked, “Did you guys leave this for me?”
Then each morning thereafter, I found another black feather in the same spot. I realized the ravens were purposefully leaving me a gift.
All day, I pondered the piercing beauty of life. All around us, life invites us to connect, communicate, and even play. Daily, over and over, we are invited to actively take part in Life. I often sense that many species are curious to know how intelligent we are. And, we humans think we are the only behavioral-scientists.
With each daily walk, the ravens drew closer to me. They began to perch on pinion branches, only two feet from my head. One morning, when they left another feather, there was no conversation. They had returned to the cedar-fence and again sat in a row; their necks craned forward. Four pairs of black eyes watched me, unwavering, almost breathless as I approached the feather.
I bent down to pick up their beautiful gift and realized there were two feathers, not just one. As I lifted the feathers in awe, suddenly all four ravens erupted into a chorus of excited sounds. They jumped up and down, bobbed their heads, and flapped their wings. The solitary ‘line-dancer’ excitedly side-stepped along the fence, again pushing past the others. Leaving them behind, he eagerly followed beside me while I walked along the trail. Back and forth, our throaty calls filled the gray dawn with haunting sounds, a song so old it held no words…only ancient knowing….and understood love.
My last morning at the hotel, I walked earlier than usual, as I had to return and finish packing my bags. I wondered if the ravens would be up this early to greet me. At first, I saw no ravens in the gray-light. Suddenly, the bravest raven, the ‘line-dancer,’ swooped in and landed on the fence. He was far more animated than he previously had been. With a beautiful repertoire of sounds he enthusiastically talked with me, now only a foot of space between us.
I sensed how this one, magnificent raven wanted an intimate relationship with me, just the two of us, without the whole tribe around. His throat-warbling was intimately soft and tender. I grieved that I had to leave.
As I talked with him, I looked at the ground and then back at his curious face. “Did you come to leave me another feather,” I asked. He swiftly flew off….I sagged with disappointment. Then, just as suddenly, his black wings returned him to the fence. In his beak, he carried a bright-yellow coreopsis flower. He dropped from the fence, placed the flower at my bare feet, and looked up at me. Black liquid eyes searched my face.
“Do you see it,” he asked with a tip of his head.
“Oh yes, it’s beautiful,” I said.
“I love you.”
With tears in my eyes, I reverently picked up the golden flower and held it to my cheek. The whole time, this dear raven danced happily along the fence, watching me as he softly chortled his most loving sounds.
Then suddenly, we both stopped and stood silently still, less than a foot between his beak and my face. Raven and Human stared into each others eyes, falling together into an endless void. I forgot who I was, where I was, and knew only the mythical moment of merged love. My heart shattered into a million pieces and flung outward to the most distant smiling stars.
All my love.
Roby
A rare gift of beauty and love, straight from the tender heart of a raven. — Read more Wild Stories HERE —