American Crow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I often under-appreciate our local Crows. They are with us all year, and even on the slowest bird day you can generally find a crow somewhere in the neighborhood. And, of course, they are among the most intelligent of birds…one of the few birds with a sense of humor similar to our own…and one of the few that so obviously indulges in “play.” Watch them in the air on a blustery day and you will see what I mean. And they are, relatively speaking, good neighbors. They clean up any bite sized trash…or any shiny thing they can carry away…and help with carcass removal for the smaller mammals and other birds. If I were another bird, of a smaller species, I might not love a Crow, as they are nest predators…but as a human I can admire their sturdy beauty. There were a group of them in a yard up the street when I walked by, very busy with what appeared to be scattered popcorn, and they let me take some photos. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.