Benoit the Young Crow Returns, after a Sleepover

Photo of Benoit after an overnight stay away from the family unit

Hey Susi, Benoit is back !!!!! When I came home this arvo, but Baba is still gone, and Benoit is looking rather lacking in feathers on the neck.

I maybe have worked out what happened.  After I did the special posting and collage, the day before yesterday ,  I went outside, and Benoit was really really excited. A lot of complex Crow talking  and wing flapping, like there was something exciting happening. Well, all last night, I kept seeing Benoit in my mind, and this morning woke to a dream where Benoit was telling me that about an arranged visit with the "big" birds. So, I think what happened was Benoit DID go to stay with relatives for the night - like a "sleep over for a whole day and a half, and THAT was what the darling little Crow was trying to tell me the other afternoon. That a sleepover was happening,  since Benoit was a "big bird" now, and could spend a night away from the family.  

The Mom and Dad Crows  really missed having Benoit and Baba about. Baba, although maybe not as bright as Benoit, is older, and he is still away. I think that he is ok - I hope so. Anyway, I am so so happy that Benoit is ok, if a bit worn out looking. I guess the "big bird" relatives probably gave Benoit a bit of a "right of Passage". And I'm not even sure if Benoit is a boy or girl. Anyways, Benoit - was happy to see me, and flew staight down to greet me when I just came home. Looking a bit worse for wear, and rather subdued, but ok!!!! 

And now I understand why the Mom and Dad were calling out so loudly all day yesterday - they were calling to the children who had gone on the "sleepover" far away with the other Crows. 

I have decided that I love and respect  crows more than ever now!!!!!

This has been one of the biggest learning curves in my life - learning that loving wild creatures means I must "let go" and be cool and detatched like the birds are!

Benoit Mandelbrot, the baby Crow, at home in Burringbar

Benoit at home in Burringbar, Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW, Australia

On the left is Benoit's Father waiting under the full moon before Benoit took his first flight.
In the middle is Benoit, on 20th January 2009 and the smaller pic of Benoit is when he had just left his nest - late Oct/earlyNov 2008. The other photos are of some of his favourite trees in his Burringbar home (NE NSW Australia)

Benoit Mandelbrot - a very Smart Crow

Benoit Mandelbrot - a very smart crow

Benoit Mandelbrot has been flying since late October, 2008. He is the middle sibling of three children born to two Crows that live next door to me in Burringbar, in the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW, Australia. The family is a tight knit unit. The Father Crow has done much hard work to raise his children, with his Wife, and soon the children will be independent. 

All three children of the Crows still have their baby voices, although sometimes Benoit and the older sibling Baba O'Riley can make some pretty convincing adult sounds. 

Over the December and January months, the children have vastly expanded their vocals, and eating skills. All three children have counted coup with the children of other birds in the neighbourhood - Kookaburras,Currawongs and Hawks. They do not fight with Magpies, although I notice that, when very young, the Crow children would "stalk" the adult Magpies. This was tolerated very kindly, by the "stalked" adult.

As told earlier in this blog, Baba was the first of the babys to fly up very high with a Sea Eagle.

At other times, the Crow children have flown, with their parents (particularly their Father) to chase adult Wedge Tail Eagles, Sparrow Hawks, Grey and Brown Goshawks and Kookaburras, but usually it is the Father Crow that continues the chase, and the Crow children retreat to safe arbours while he fights, chases and counts coup.

When the children first flew from their nest in the Crows Ash Tree, I couldn't distinguish between them easily. However, even when they were in their nest, I felt that there was often a little pair of eyes watching me, and had an intuitive feeling that one of the Crow children would become my friend.

From almost their first flight, there was always one little Crow that would give me an extra long gaze, focus into my eyes, and try to talk with me. Now, as I have learnt to distinguish the Crow children more, I can see Benoit, even in the air, or high up in a tree, by mannerisms and voice. Benoit even comes when I call.

 "Benoit! Benoit" I call, and Benoit comes flying down to me, and has a little talk. Swooping over my head landing only inches from me, but will not land on my hand. I have fed these babies, and their parents, after the Father Crow had a serious wing injury,and so, I guess that it is not unusual for them to come to me. Their parents, however, are quite distrustful of closeness to people, and prefer to stay at a distance. I put out clean water for them daily, which they love to drink, bathe and soak their food in.

Benoit's Father has sometimes come to me, asking if I will help chase a goanna. He was prone to do this when the Children were still in the nest. But that is another story.....

Meanwhile, back to Benoit, the smart little Crow.  Although second to leave the nest, Benoit has shown much intelligence, and is often the first to respond to the parent Crows' calls, a situation or opportunity. Benoit will often come down to me and just sit and talk with me. Looking into Benoit's eyes is like discovering another universe. The beauty, wildness, intelligence and sensitivity astound and amaze me. My respect for Crows has increased a thousandfold, since getting to know this family. It is funny, even as I write this article, Benoit is up in the "birth" tree practicing the "alarm" call, and play fighting with the elder Crow, Baba.  About a week ago, when Benoit came up to me, talking many different crow words, I repeatedly said "hello, hello". Then, to my astonishment, Benoit said "hello" back to me. TWICE!!!! What a smart little fellow Benoit Mandelbrot is.

One of my favourite pastimes is to sit in the evening warmth, and watch the first stars appear, with the children of the Crows all sitting nearby. This is a peaceful event, quite often.... but not when the Hawks arrive with their children, to inspect the old crow's nest in the birthing tree and attack the children of the Crows! No, on those evenings, everyone is alert, and when it becomes too much, the father Crow will take the children and his wife off to the nearby family of Crows that live a kilometre or so away, and spend the evening there! I don't blame him. The Hawks are fierce, relentless and can severely injure a baby Crow. But, somehow, I feel that Benoit will survive Crow childhood and grow into a very wise old Crow.

Benoit Mandelbrot is indeed a very smart and brave Crow. 

Photo: Benoit Mandelbrot having one of his first flights in early November 2008

ME

I am the crow that calls out the law

I am the eagle whose wings ever soar

I am the earthworm, humble unseen

I am a miracle in god’s greatest dream.

Baba's ( the eldest baby ) First Big Flight - One week out of the Nest

"Valley of the Crows", Burringbar, Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW, Australia

In the 9 weeks since the children of the Crows have had their fledgling flights, from their birth tree to the neighbouring Eucalypt, I have watched them venture further and further away.

They have more recently, at about two months out of their nest, taken long flights away to the major gathering of Crows (murder) down in the valley some miles away.

I have now seen the Crow children fly with their parents, high on the thermals, chasing Sea Eagles, Wedgetail Eagles and Hawks. This has proven to be rather dangerous, at times. 

When the children were very young, they also "play fought" and counted coup with Magpies and baby Kookaburras, while their parents watched on. 

During the first week out of the nest, the eldest Crow child, Baba,  had flown with it's father, high into the sky thermals, chasing after a Sea Eagle. 

On this day, sky was cloudy, and rather windy.  As the Sea Eagle passed their nesting trees, the father Crow swooped into the thermal, below the ascending Eagle, feigning attack. He was staying slightly away from the eagle, while the little baby Crow (who I believe was Baba, the eldest baby) flew much higher and further away from them, watching from above. 

Suddenly, the thermal took the baby Crow even further into the sky, with the Sea Eagle following skillfully, closing in on the baby. In the blink of an eye, both were far away from the father Crow, who instead of taking the air up, returned to their Eucalypt tree, and waited. 

Far above us, the baby Crow soared, higher and higher. The big Sea Eagle, over twice the baby's size, was in pursuit, occasionally flying to attack him. 

The father Crow waited in the Eucalypt below. The other two children and their mother were nearby, in their nesting tree, the Crow's Ash. The family waited.

The baby Crow was now circling far away to the north, with the Sea Eagle. They were approaching the clouds.   In a flash, the baby Crow veered suddenly into a fluffy grey cloud.

The Sea Eagle dodged quickly into the edge of the cloud too, after the baby Crow, then came out. After making another pass into the cloud, the Sea Eagle then kept circling slowly higher back into the blue sky, alone. Meanwhile the baby Crow had completely dissappeared. 

It was half an hour, before Baba, the baby Crow appeared again, and the family was all together, on the power lines outside, above the road. I thought to myself - baby Crows, are indeed amazing flyers, and very courageous!

The Crow Family (mother to the left, father to the right, children in the middle)

Crow Magic

Crows lives have long intertwined with human life and human stories. 

Their symbolism includes death, battle, law, greed, bravery, magic and a variety of omens.  

During the winter of 2008, two Torresian Crows built a nest  in the Crows Ash tree that overlooks the valley to the south east of my home. 

The two crows have reared three young Crow children who, after leaving their nest late October, are now almost fully grown. 

Totem based Education for Biodiversity in Darling River (Murray Darling System)

The current Issue of the Darling River has it's roots in ignorance, lack of continuity of focus and understanding plus run amok ego and greed. The Darling River is one of the main arteries of the Australian continental BODY. All along and within the River System lives an amazingly complex interconnected section of the Australian BIOSPHERE. There are also key components of that Biosphere that are helpful indicators to the health of the system.

I have my own ideas as to how to fix this main artery:

1. Continuity of understanding and respect by creating a comprehensive long term vision of education. Base this education on a)teaching within every single school (and associated community network) within the Catchment System and b) teaching via mass media.

2. Use the concept of "totems" to carry this understanding and respect into future generations' life styles. Create a comprehensive "TOTEM" based educational framework, that is fully coordinated and on equal footing with economic educational components of current mainstream educational policies.

3. Find the "TOTEMS" (eg Koala, dragonfly, ant, goanna, crayfish, habitat, river red gum, wallaby etc- the list could be refined by proper consultation with the traditional land owners also ). Pool current ecological wisdom to isolate key indicator species. Imprint these "TOTEM" qualities and understandings onto every future student generation - Thus safeguarding their survival in their HABITATS via full integration of the "TOTEMS" system within the environmental and economic educational frameworks of the Australian Schooling network.

A simple start here:-

• Create the school "house" system as the "TOTEM" base for a particular location/section of Catchment.
  
• Fully integrate the learning of that TOTEM within each individual school.
  
• Involve the local knowledge, science community, businesses and core catchment authorities to mentor the knowledge.
  
• Ensure that each student leaving the education system has a deep and thorough understanding and care for at least ONE TOTEM.
  
• Make this a hundred year plan.
  

4. Implement a wide scale revegetation program of monumental proportion.

Creating industry in organic nurseries, provincial species seed distribution, habitat restoration networks and other industry incentives based around the current and future utilities & transport corridors and other public & crown land. This RESOURCE MANAGEMENT approach, that caters for seed stock plants, education, sustainability and habitat "demonstration" can fill a massive niche, that is missing in Australia - that of sustainable "organic" nursery and revegetation networks, seed networks and local habitat restoration industries.

5. Ensure that CARBON TRADING and CARBON OFFSET PROGRAMS are based on only the soundest of biodiversity principles - instead of the quick fix approach taken by many of industry and the market place opportunists, when initiatives such as these are let loose in the public market place and supported by government sectors and funding support.

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Creation Story told by Auntie Beryl Carmichael

(creation story for Ngyiaampaa country as well as land belonging to Eagle Hawk and Crow)

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The Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability

Some Darling River (Murray Darling Catchment Links) on bluecray blog

Aboriginal Economy and Society - Educational link & Sociological Remarks from Australian National University - Darling River

Platypus by Ann Moyal - a preview page

Pauline McLeod - Aboriginal Storyteller - an interview

Aboriginal Principal for Sustainable Development as told in tradition law stories by Karl Eric Sveiby (google HTML version) by sveiby knowledge associates

Murray Lower Darling Indigenous Nations

Report to the Murray Darling Basin Commission (2003) - Indigenous response to the Living Murray Initiative (google HTML version)

The Salt that Ate Australia - note on BBC Costing the Earth program 1/04/04 BBC Radio 4 (google HTML version)

Aboriginal Studies Press, Library, Research, Audiovisual Library, Weblinks, News at Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

Bluecray EDUCATION LINKS

Bluecray Darling River (Murray Darling Catchment) Links

Benoit  - the young Crow  (Burringbar,NSW)

The Darling River is a long way from the Mt Warning Caldera Region. If you look at this catchments MAP for the Catchments of NSW and this Qld catchments MAP, you will see that the catchments of the Darling River do not conveniently fit within state borders  of  NSW  and  QLD  .  Eventually, these catchments flow intoVictoria and South Australia. This is the Murray-Darling System spanning 4 Australian States and finally flowing into the ocean in South Australia . To further compound the complexity, governments continually change the historical reference points for understanding this vaste system of waterways.

Money, Scientific Research , Reform processes , Government Initiatives and Community effort  : the LIST is endless when it comes to the response to the management of the Darling River Catchment System. It is decades since the  problems of water loss and farmland sustainability were identified by the Australian Government.

 The history of these initiatives have all but been forgotten as the various personalities of politics and powerplay continually introduce new reforms, create new public agendas and frameworks, find another cause or cure to the issue, waste valuable community effort, time and resources in changing benchmarks and project support and sell off public assets to "fix" the issues.

Oh, now you might say - well what about Carbon Credits and Carbon Trading ?  LANDCARE?  Caring for Country?   Catchment Management Programs?  Greening Australia? Australian Conservation Volunteers?Rotary? Scouts?  There is a huge list of already participating community volunteers and paid environmental advisors out there.

And I might say back to you - well it has been years since the National Landcare and Catchment Management grew from the need to address vital LAND and WATER issues within the Murray-Darling System, and other prominent Catchment Systems in Western Australia, Qld and Victoria. The previous Government sold chunks of government telecommunications to FIX this issue. YET still, the precious WATER of the Murray- Darling undergoes "stream stealing" by channel altering, land reshaping and other catchment interference such as Dams, developments, clearing, innapropriate land use and  waste by monoculture industries that are fully supported by other government incentives and the PUBLIC.

Australian Commonwealth Water Act 2007  - at ComLaw, Attorney-General's Department, Australian Government 

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Below is a not conclusive all encompassing list of Catchment links to the Darling and the Murray-Darling system. It is more a list to encourage a starting point to understanding the depth and breadth of this great system that once supported a fantastic number of living flora and fauna, while the original land Custodians of Australia lived and walked the land, ( before the European invasion of Australia in the 18th century and subsequent decline in water quality, species, habitats and adequate land stewardship)

• Beyond Native title: The Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations  
• Recognition of Aboriginal rights, interests and values in river research and management: Perspectives from northern Australia - with implications for Catchment Management throughout Australia
  
• Aboriginal Law Bulletin  
• Caught in the Act - ongoing research blog byKathy Stavrou - brief history of Australia since European occupation of NSW, Australia
• Indigenous Law Bulletin - Indigenous Law Centre, University of NSW, Australia
• Australian Human Rights Commission - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
• NSW Dept. Environment and Climate Change - Indigenous People of NSW - this is extremely brief considering how long the indigenous Nations have lived throughout Australia and cared so well for its biodiversity and habitats
• The Murray Darling Basin - an overview  
• Current Australian Government Position for Murray Darling System (2009)
• 1. What's in the catchment and where does the water flow_
• ACF - Murray Darling
• Australian Government National Water Commission
• River condition in the Murray-Darling Basin
• Queensland WaterShed - Drainage Divisions & Stream Flow Sites - select a Qld Catchment
• Australian Natural Resources Atlas home page
• Catchment Classification Project
• Catchment Classification_ regional maps- South Australia
• Catchment Mapping - Connected Water Website
• CatCon mapping facility
• map australian catchments - Google Search
• University of Melbourne Integrated Catchment Management Education  

• Darling River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Darling River Action Group
• Data Library
• Department of Natural Resources and Water Queensland home page
• Develop and implement management options - Connected Water Website
• Dryland Rivers policy document
• Geoscience Australia - Fab Facts, Landforms, Australian Rivers
• Investigate and Assess - Connected Water Website
• Land Use - Australia
• Link to Atlas on-line mapping
• Maps - protected wetlands, rivers and river catchments
• National Mapping - Fab Facts, Landforms from Space
• Rivers - Assessment of River Condition - Queensland
• Set Management Targets - Connected Water Website
• Statwide map
• Australian Government understating Perth catchment rain
• WaterShed
• Australian Government Land and Water  programs
• Water Regulations 2008 - Australian Bureau of Meteorology :  Water Act 2007 & Water Information 
• Australian Water Association  
• Ganesha on the Murray  
• Natural Sequence Farming  
• Natural Sequence Association 
• Biodiversity Assessment Darling Riverine Plains ANRA (Australian Natural Resourse Atlas) i am not sure when this was done
• ENIAR (European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights) 
• Bluecray.org WATER and Darling River LINKS pages

Nature, Reflection and Learning - from bluecray.org

"It is good for man
To try all changes, progress and corruption, powers, peace and
anguish, not to go down the dinosaur's way
Until all his capacities have been explored: and it is good for him
To know that his needs and nature are no more changed,in fact,
in ten thousand years than the beaks of eagles" Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) from "The Beaks of Eagles"

Reflecting and learning through nature can lead to increased understanding and awareness of the nature of humans and our relationship with our world.Masanobu Fukuoka, is one such iconic 20th century example of how this can be achieved through his writings on sustainable farming in Japan.

Human history abounds with oral and written stories concerning human interaction with animals, plants, places and natural events. Australia, including the Mt Warning Caldera Region , is rich in such written and oral history.

Over the years, it has become scientifically recognised that in Australia (and the rest of the world), the presence and activity of birds and other animalswithin any given environment reflects the state of that environment and its ecological components. Environmental status, health, wellbeing and resilience can be reflected by the bird activity within any given environment.

This is not a new idea. Cultures of past and present ages throughout the world have practiced closely intertwined rituals and nature based ideologies. This has been as a matter for survival, cultural education and environmental wellbeing. New concepts and practices forming around nature and learning are crystallising and modernising age old practices, bringing ancient concepts to a modern scientific understanding. Janin Benyus, author of "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature" (1997 William Morrow, NY), is just one of many recent advocates of a natural approach to environmental management and education. ( Nature's 100 best)

Meanwhile, I would like to talk more about birds. Take for example, the expression "a little bird told me" .

The Phrase Finder website gives a possible reference to the expression as "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter" from Ecclesiastes 10:20 King James Version

Think carefully at all times where your mind leads you. Should a "little bird" take that thought far on the wind, and spread it beyond your life, into the world. Daily practice of loving thoughts have a widespread healing implication, nearby and far. Creating a prayer, for yourself, that a bird may carry, can set it free, on the winds of time.

The vision of a future where birds are happily living on this planet, and prayer to go with this vision, may be a good starting point to healing this planet with love. Furthermore, understanding nature and reflection on birds may be as simple learning to birdwatch.

Bird watching can be a simple, relaxing past-time, relatively cost free and extremely rewarding. There are many Bird websites on the internet to explore. Bird identification, information and resources can also be found in most libraries and second hand bookstores.

Bird Links at Bluecray.org

Al's CROW links