Consider the Crow: Observations to Consider

9/15/2016

Happy Poetry Friday, friends! Michelle is hosting the roundup on her site Today's Little Ditty. Be sure to swing on over and join in the poetry fun!

What an exciting week it has been! First, I was honored to be invited to share a little bit of my note-booking process with others on Amy VanDerwater's Sharing Our Notebooks page. Then, I had the opportunity to be in a few classrooms this week where I was simply awed by all the writing flowing inside of notebooks. It was incredible to hear how inspired students are to write when they are given a host of invitations and notebook strategies by teachers who value them as writers for life. I am so grateful to have the privilege to work alongside these teachers and writers. You can take a peek HERE at some of the brilliant writing work happening at our school Spring Creek Elementary.

The poem I am sharing today is one that came to life after rereading an observation in my notebook. The entry was about the day I watched a crow chase a hawk along a high line wire in a nearby field. The crow kept cawing and cawing at the hawk. I could tell he did not want him in his territory. It really surprised me that a crow would chase a hawk and not the other way around. I had always thought of the hawk as a master of other field birds. This observation certainly made me wonder more and more about the crow. My questions led me straight to research. I learned so much about this intelligent bird that I might never have considered. Simple observations can be explored in many different ways when we take the time to consider them truly and deeply.

Click HERE to learn more about the crow.

Invitation to Write:

Observations can create wonder. And wondering can lead us to consider all sorts of possibilities! There are so many things to wonder about in the world around us. Sometimes all we have to do is stop in our tracks, and take a look. Write down some observations you are making right this moment. What do your observations make you wonder about? Is there more you want to learn? Choose a few of these ideas or topics and consider the possibilities of each one. Push your thinking by asking, "What if...?" or "Have I considered...?" Let your observations be your guide. There is much to consider!

9 Comments

Doraine Bennett link

9/16/2016 07:41:24 am

It's it fun when all that research finds its way to poetry? Nice job with the crow. I do enjoy a crow's raspy caw!

Tabatha link

9/16/2016 08:41:37 am

You're so right that paying attention can lead a person down all kinds of pathways! Thanks for enlightening us about crows today. :-)

jama link

9/16/2016 09:44:29 am

Crows are fascinating -- so intelligent and not easily intimidated. I've seen crows badger hawks in our woods too. Nice poem!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes link

9/16/2016 11:00:25 am

Nice, Kiesha! Gotta love a research expedition that ends in a poem. You might want to see if your library has a wonderful new book out now called CROW SMARTS by Pamela S. Turner.

Jane @ Raincity Librarian link

9/16/2016 03:06:19 pm

Having been dive-bombed by several crows for walking past their nesting areas, I can tell you that these birds are absolutely fearless! You have to hand it to them, once you've gotten over the shock of being dive-bombed, that is!

Donna Smith link

9/16/2016 03:28:40 pm

I researched crows and ravens a couple of years ago, and there are some incredible videos out there of crows playing in the snow - sliding and frolicking. Have you come across any of those? You must do a YouTube search for crows playing if you haven't. There is also a video of a crow who stole the the catch or bait off fishing lines propped in the ice. They are amazing birds - very intelligent!

Linda Mitchell link

9/17/2016 10:19:01 am

I really enjoy this...my favorite line:
"After all, it's his ground"
I was thinking ground as in ground wire. ha!
Just this week my youngest asked me the difference between a crow and a raven. I didn't know. So, I appreciate Michelle's book rec and Donna's recs for Youtube videos.
Wonderful words...and as always, your invitations go right to my writing heart.
Have a good week

Violet N. link

9/17/2016 02:31:24 pm

I too am fascinated by crows. We used to live next to a green belt where crows had staked their claim. We were dive-bombed by them a few times. But mostly they left us alone. Often when I was walking, I heard their coos, rattles and clicks to each other. They would often perch close to each other, like buddies or lovers as they watched the world go by below. They seemed quite tuned in and affectionate toward their own.

Brenda link

9/19/2016 08:41:36 am

I love the crows. I read fascinating posts by a Cornell researcher who would band the crows by intruding on their nests. They remembered his car, and they would dive-bomb it whenever they saw it anywhere in town. Lots of fascinating stories about crows remembering people who feed them, too.