Common Raven

Dan King Alaskan Photography
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Common Raven
Common Raven

Ravens are one of my favorite birds to watch and photograph. They have an amazing library of vocalizations and are a very smart bird.
A few years back, my wife and I noticed a raven in our yard with a broken wing. When we approached it, it would flutter away, staying mostly on the ground. It was able to fly a few feet up into lower branches of spruce trees, however, it could not fly high or far.
My wife instantly knew that it was her mission to save this raven. We called him "Monk." My wife asked me to build him a little perch and we put an old flat tray on it. Each morning, my wife would bring leftovers out and place it on the tray for Monk. At first, he stayed away until she left, but as the winter progressed, he would get closer and closer to my wife as she left food for him.
Winter where we live, lasts from September until Mid-May, and it was the beginning of winter when Monk arrived. I am sure if it wasn't for my wife, Monk would not have made it through the winter. As spring arrived, snow was still on the ground, but the sun was up for more than 12 hours per day. She noticed that Monk was able to fly more and more. When she brought the food out for him, he would be within 10 feet of her.
On one spring morning, she noticed Monk was no longer waiting for his morning meal. While it saddened her, she knew that Monk had survived the winter and was now out on his own. A few days later, a raven appeared on the perch with the tray, my wife walked out and put a piece of food on the tray. The raven made some noises as if to say thank you and goodbye.....
God speed Monk, we both hope you are flying high and free.
(The raven in this photo is not Monk, but rather a friendly raven that liked his picture taken.)

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Taken on: August 30, 2016
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Sets appears in:   • Ravens and Magpies   
Camera: Canon EOS 50D, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, 500mm, ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS 50D
Lens: 150-500mm
Aperture: f/6.3
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Focal Length: 500mm
ISO: 640
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: Uncalibrated
Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 14.1.1 (Windows)
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