Crow Story: The Deflated Ball

This happened at the end of June 2025.

It’s all true.

Sadly, one of the two kids died a couple of weeks later. Most crows die during their first year. It sounds horrible, but it’s part of natural selection. Keep in mind that it was the same for humans before modern medicine. Many of us wouldn't be alive today if we had let nature take its course.

The other youngster remained healthy until it was time to leave the figurative nest. Young crows usually leave their parents' territory at the end of summer. They go live with their older, still-single siblings until they're ready to find a mate, which usually happens when they're two or three. They still regularly see their parents, though. In the autumn and winter, all crows gather by family groups at night. In my city, this mostly happens downtown.

I want to capture more scenes like this, but I can’t plan them. For example, I didn’t put the ball there—some neighborhood kids left it.

That's all for today, if you liked this post and if you haven't done so already, consider signing up for the newsletter (it's free and you'll receive future posts directly in your mailbox)

Stay tuned for more.

In the meantime, thanks for reading.

Best,

David