Now that's what I call flying
December 17, 2022 6:19 PM Subscribe
Raven rides the slipstream "bow wave" of a truck[SLYT] for kilometres down the Dempster Highway.
Wow! This happened to me once!
It's actually how my son got his name. My wife and I were driving around in BFE Oregon talking about what to name our unborn child. Then this crow came down out of nowhere and surfed on the wind we were making for a while. I half jokingly suggested a name (keeping it off the internet for now, but crow related) and it totally stuck.
Thanks, crow!
posted by keep_evolving at 6:36 PM on December 17, 2022 [12 favorites]
It's actually how my son got his name. My wife and I were driving around in BFE Oregon talking about what to name our unborn child. Then this crow came down out of nowhere and surfed on the wind we were making for a while. I half jokingly suggested a name (keeping it off the internet for now, but crow related) and it totally stuck.
Thanks, crow!
posted by keep_evolving at 6:36 PM on December 17, 2022 [12 favorites]
"Nevermoooooooooooooooooooooore!"
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:41 PM on December 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:41 PM on December 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Once in a while I get a wild hair to make my own version of Amelie's tape which she gave to Mr. Dufayel -- the one with Sister Rosette Tharpe, and the swimming infants, and the horse running along with the Tour de France.
This raven would make a perfect addition.
posted by tclark at 6:44 PM on December 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
This raven would make a perfect addition.
posted by tclark at 6:44 PM on December 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Quote the raven, "Hold my beer".
posted by wanderingmind at 6:44 PM on December 17, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by wanderingmind at 6:44 PM on December 17, 2022 [11 favorites]
CBC report with more background.
posted by wreckingball at 7:09 PM on December 17, 2022 [11 favorites]
It can be both, I think. Wow![…] the two are still astounded by the unusual encounter — even if they interpret it differently.
'My girlfriend is seeing it as more of a spiritual event, seeing as it was our last trip down the Dempster,' Lavoie said.
'I see it as just a really genius bird.... What's better than catching a ride for free?'
posted by wreckingball at 7:09 PM on December 17, 2022 [11 favorites]
Watching humans get trained by a corvid in real time is amazing.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:15 PM on December 17, 2022 [22 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:15 PM on December 17, 2022 [22 favorites]
So totally cool.
Lonely highways as the sun sets are wonderful enough, but with crow … transcendent.
posted by jamjam at 7:37 PM on December 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
Lonely highways as the sun sets are wonderful enough, but with crow … transcendent.
posted by jamjam at 7:37 PM on December 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
Best part is realizing a cat has a VIP box seat for the show.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:03 PM on December 17, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:03 PM on December 17, 2022 [7 favorites]
Best part is realizing a cat has a VIP box seat for the show.
CAT: "Excuse me. Where are you going? Those are MY treats. Also, the bird. You're giving my treats to the bird. Moreover, you're not giving the bird to ME. Do you not understand how perverse this whole equation is? I bring YOU the bird. Then you give ME the treats. That was the DEAL, people. That bird trained you in what, like under an hour? That was less time than it took me to have a nap. How long have I been working on you people?"
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:15 PM on December 17, 2022 [17 favorites]
CAT: "Excuse me. Where are you going? Those are MY treats. Also, the bird. You're giving my treats to the bird. Moreover, you're not giving the bird to ME. Do you not understand how perverse this whole equation is? I bring YOU the bird. Then you give ME the treats. That was the DEAL, people. That bird trained you in what, like under an hour? That was less time than it took me to have a nap. How long have I been working on you people?"
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:15 PM on December 17, 2022 [17 favorites]
Related Scientific American Frontiers, on Tyler MacCready's walk-along glider using the same effect. Interestingly, Tyler is the son of Paul MacCready, namesake of the MacCready Ring on soaring variometers / Speed-to-Fly theory, and apparently a big booster of human-powered flight experiments (apparently also the founder of AeroVironment, maker of long-duration solar UAVs). Airplanes are cool (and so are ravens -- they were doing all this first)!
posted by Alterscape at 9:57 PM on December 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by Alterscape at 9:57 PM on December 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
It was around March or April of 2003, or maybe 2004? Sequoia National Park had just opened for the season, but there was still snow everywhere and about half of the roads were closed. My then girlfriend and I spent 3 days at the Best Western in Three Rivers. They upgraded us to the honeymoon suite (not a suite, just a bigger room with a fireplace) for free because they were grateful for the business.
It was a wonderful time. Way too much driving up and down windy mountain roads, but otherwise magical. I literally hugged trees! Sequoias are very huggable. Big and soft and thumpy and friendly.
Jumping off of a 8-foot diameter fallen tree trunk into a deep snowbank is a singular experience. (if kinda cold and wet...) Thank god my car had heated seats.
...and fog lamps: as the other highlight was when driving through dense fog near the top of the mountains. We were joined by an owl. It flew directly in front of us, and matched all of our turns. Initially, I assumed that it was taking advantage of our lights - hoping to scare up, or find more prey. After a few minutes, I realized that the owl wasn't flapping its wings, and after puzzling on this for a few more minutes (this whole episode was really at least 10 minutes long. For reals!) I realized that it was probably being pushed along by the airflow "bow wave" effect from my car. I was EXTREMELY proud of myself - both for figuring this out, and for being what I hope was the best part of that owl's day.
posted by Anoplura at 10:20 PM on December 17, 2022 [12 favorites]
It was a wonderful time. Way too much driving up and down windy mountain roads, but otherwise magical. I literally hugged trees! Sequoias are very huggable. Big and soft and thumpy and friendly.
Jumping off of a 8-foot diameter fallen tree trunk into a deep snowbank is a singular experience. (if kinda cold and wet...) Thank god my car had heated seats.
...and fog lamps: as the other highlight was when driving through dense fog near the top of the mountains. We were joined by an owl. It flew directly in front of us, and matched all of our turns. Initially, I assumed that it was taking advantage of our lights - hoping to scare up, or find more prey. After a few minutes, I realized that the owl wasn't flapping its wings, and after puzzling on this for a few more minutes (this whole episode was really at least 10 minutes long. For reals!) I realized that it was probably being pushed along by the airflow "bow wave" effect from my car. I was EXTREMELY proud of myself - both for figuring this out, and for being what I hope was the best part of that owl's day.
posted by Anoplura at 10:20 PM on December 17, 2022 [12 favorites]
I had a small-ish raptor do something similar in front of my van, but I'm pretty sure he was hunting, using my minivan to flush prey in the roadside ditch. He flew with me for more than half a mile. If I slowed down, he'd perch and wait so he wouldn't get ahead. And this was on a twisty, downhill mountain road; it was very steep. He could have glided right to the bottom without any help from a vehicle.
After a few minutes of this, he dived into the ditch, presumably landing something small and furry.
posted by ryanrs at 10:55 PM on December 17, 2022 [8 favorites]
After a few minutes of this, he dived into the ditch, presumably landing something small and furry.
posted by ryanrs at 10:55 PM on December 17, 2022 [8 favorites]
That was indeed remarkable. Corvids amaze me. Stunning scenery, too.
posted by davidmsc at 7:19 AM on December 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by davidmsc at 7:19 AM on December 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
this is awesome on many levels!! such a hamsome kitty! I love to see wild animals showing us their intelligence and playfulness, and yes, corvids are particularly amazing in that way. and the end? like, ok, let's stop and meet our feathered friend now!
posted by supermedusa at 9:10 AM on December 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by supermedusa at 9:10 AM on December 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Wow, thanks for posting this. I would never have found this delightful thing myself.
posted by rpfields at 4:09 PM on December 18, 2022
posted by rpfields at 4:09 PM on December 18, 2022
this is some of that best of the web stuff
posted by some loser at 4:51 PM on December 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by some loser at 4:51 PM on December 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
love, love, love this video. watched all the way through, and then we got the bonus of watching that cagey corvid sidling up for the treats, inching in sideways and pecking out like lightning. Like, "yes, I just got a free ride from your truck for 20 miles, but no way am I coming within reach of you. so long and thanks for all the treats!"
posted by martin q blank at 7:38 AM on December 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by martin q blank at 7:38 AM on December 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have some crows that come hang out in the trees in front of my house, and I feed them whole-shell unsalted peanuts, which they love. They do that little furtive hop, like they're so excited for the food but still a little sketched out by the source (me). I have always wanted to befriend crows, and now it's happening.
posted by exlotuseater at 10:18 AM on December 19, 2022
posted by exlotuseater at 10:18 AM on December 19, 2022
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