Every week Hive account@nelinoeva hosts a fun contest in the Feathered Friends Community. This week's theme is My Best Bird Photo.

I have yet to make a photographic creation that I consider my best, the reason being that each photo that I fall in love with has its unique qualities and story. I am also not a professional photographer, and have been working with digital photography for under a year. The best is, as they say, yet to come. If it ever does. Truth be told, the only reason I went out and put myself into debt over a DSLR was so that I could make pretty pictures of crows.

I know you're not surprised to hear that.

Many of the photos I am sharing here I have already published on Hive at one point or another, so I'll start with this fresh photo of Bo that hasn't yet been seen by human eyes other than my own.

Spring is coming in for a landing in Portland. It's a beautiful time of year. A time when the sun shines, flowers bloom, and people like me become victims to the endless fits of sneezegasms as the flora of the region celebrate their annual procreation with pollen particle pyrotechnics.

All these factors, minus the sneezing, make for some pretty photo opportunities. It's impossible to get a crow to pose for a spring-themed picture, but a couple kibbles in the right place convinced Bo to go where I wanted him.

Bo is a great buddy of mine. The ambassador to the crows. Because of him I am the crow lady I am today.

Here's a video of us together.

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Here's a shot of my buddy Melby that I took last summer. I shared it in a post last year, but recently re-edited it with my (hopefully) improved photo-editing skills and software so that I could print it out and display it at work.

Here's that display at the clinic where I work. It was really nice of them to be interested in my crow photos. I think they did it to get me to agree to become an employee instead of a contractor. Buttered me up.

After Bo, Melby was the first crow to come to my apartment window to eat. He soon introduced me to his partner, Voolie, and later, his baby, Valentine.

Here's a video of Melby eating some snacks I put down for him while out on a walk. (It's not as exciting as the Bo video, I promise.)

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Lovely Lorena

bride of Bo

eating kibble

in the snow.

Lorena is as smart as she is beautiful. For a long time, Bo monopolized all of our time together, and Lorena and I didn't have much of an opportunity to bond. Bo also monopolized the food situation. Brilliant lady that she is, Lorena taught me how to play catch with her so that I could toss food directly into her mouth before Bo could get to it.

Bo, not wanting to be upstaged, learned how to play catch better than his wife because he's got that kind of ego. And also loves a good time.

Here's a video of me playing catch with the lovely couple. They've both got some moves.

Bo also learned (kind of) that he would not receive any less food if he let me share with his bride, and Lorena and I finally got to seal the bond. We're great pals now.

Here's a video of the two of them reaping the benefits of having a human servant.

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This is a photo of one of Bo and Lorena's babies from last spring. It was their very first brood. I was so proud of Bo and Lorena, and loved these babies so much. Sadly, none of them survived their first few months. Most crow couples will lose all their offspring on their first try because of lack of experience.

I use this photo as the logo for my YouTube channel.
I also had it made into a shower curtain, so I can look at it all the time and remember these babies.

_{Welcome to my bathroom. Please wash your hands before you leave.}

I often wonder what Bo and Lorena would think if I showed them pictures and videos of their babies. It's not an experiment that I want to try, however. I fear that it would cause them unnecassary grief and confusion.

The day after their last baby disappeared, they were very distraught. In this video you can see what looks like a tantrum of sorts from Lorena. It also seems to me like Bo is trying to console or appease her.

Anyone who doubts that animals have deep connections to their emotions is ignorant.

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I have so many more "best" bird photos that I love, like this shot I got of the neighborhood crows hassling a red tailed hawk.

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The Tax Man feeding one of his fledglings last summer.

I am pretty sure that The Tax Man (named for the taxes I must pay to use his territory) is Bo's older brother. I don't think their fledglings survived this last year, either, but I don't spend as much time with them, so I can't be certain.

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Lod, father of Bo, Junior, and Biggie.

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Bo's butt. This seems to be a favorite among many.

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I could go on and on forever sharing photos and videos of my crow friends, and I will, too, but not right now. The sun is shining and I need to get outside and sneeze and see what the crows are up to. It sounds like they're chasing a hawk over near Bo's territory. Bo's gonna need to refuel after all that work.