i recently moved house and have been gifted with a whole clattering of jackdaws ! They are wonderful characters - thank you for helping me understand them more..
Congratulations on your publication, Rebecca. It really resonated with me, what you said about neurodivergence and curiosity about the inner lives of others. Beautiful essay, once again.
thank you Mary Beth! It seems to me that many neurodivergent folk are intensely curious about the minds of others (despite some stereotypes to the contrary)
“It is a tonic, to feel so small; to feel like a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.” Absolutely. And it’s what I’m feeling now, traveling in the Galápagos. Life-changing.
A beautiful piece of writing Rebecca. I love Jackdaws, they nest in my chimney and chatter away on my roof and I get so much pleasure from watching them. Thank you for adding to my knowledge, it was good to learn more about these birds that always make me smile.
Thank you for this. It's so amazing with how much patronage (and cruelty) we often treat nonhuman beings. 😥
Do you follow the discussion around interspecies communication? Speech buttons and tablets and the like to communicate with all kinds of animals. I love following the story of Parrot Kindergarden on Insta, they just recently published a study on that and they just now have a documentary film out. And I've been using speech buttons with my dog as well, it's really amazing.
I don't know much about this but I am really interested! I've seen videos of a dog that's been trained with a button board and it's fascinating to watch this new method of interaction unfold. I'm a big fan of Irene Pepperburg's work on parrot-human communication (there's a great Moth podcast on her work!). How are the speech buttons going with your dog?
I've made very good experiences with the speech buttons. She was able to indicate when she wanted to go out, or play, or ask for spcific toys or ppl. And also just comment on things happening in our surroundings. It gives animals agency. I love it!
What joy to be so small—and to be astonished by details like a jackdaw pair being subtly aware of their partner’s mood shifts and to understand the stunning wonder and importance of recognizing the intelligence of the creatures we share this planet with—what joy all this indeed.
As always, rebecca, quite grateful for your words.
There used to be a huge flock of jackdaws near to the school I studied in. They gathered in the trees in the evenings, and the sounds of the flock at dusk are a somewhat deeply ingrained memory. I always found their calls to be a little nostalgic, so when I think back to my highschool days, the jackdaws come to mind quite often along other memories.
oh that's so lovely to read. I feel a similar nostalgia for jackdaws after spending these springs with them, and moving to a place that does not have many. I love the musicality and enthusiasm of their calls!
This is wonderful. I listened to it, instead of reading. What a marvelous reader you are. Being American, I'm a sucker for a British accent! I love knowing what you do, your research, and this gives me great pause--that there is more to things than meets the rapid, hurried eye. I used to play with chickens as a child. I played WITH them, I think. They knew who I was. And the rooster would attack. And attack. And attack. But the hens were every-friendly. Thank you for all this insight and beauty. Just lovely.
oh thank you Rebecca, I'm so glad you enjoyed the audio! I'm sure those hens were enjoying your games just as much as you were! I feel we are able to tap into interspecies communication and shared actions better when we are younger. Perhaps in part because our minds are more open when we are young, and also we are more willing to just engage in play for play's sake!
Thank you so much for becoming a paid subscriber to between two seas, it is so appreciated! I hope you continue to enjoy it :)
I love the jackdaws that hang out in the willow tree at the back of my house. There are two huge willows there, but for some reason they have a preference and most sit in just one tree. They like to launch themselves off the top on windy days, fly round in a loop, and go back to do it again. ❤️
I have a memory of encountering birds (that I’ve remembered as jackdaws) on a high mountain pass on the slopes of the Säntis in October of 1983…and sitting down to watch them for an hour or so because they were so fascinating (and seemed equally curious about me)…but on reflection perhaps they were more likely alpine choughs, and my mind is playing tricks with me…
either way, brilliant birds! Corvids are so wonderfully curious. I love that as we watch them, we too feel watched. Thank you for sharing this lovely memory :)
I love that your scientific investigations help keep the beautiful mystery alive Rebecca. Attention and curiosity fostering more attention and curiosity.
Have you heard of the podcast Telepathy Tapes? While its focus is on telepathic communication between humans, (and is FASCINATING!), I found myself thinking that animals and plants may do this constantly, naturally. Consciousnesses unbound by physical form. How special to devote your skills to jackdaws! You observed chatters and preening, but how fun to imagine all the communication happening that we can’t even begin to detect.:)
this is such a good point - there is SO much we do not know about animal communication that there are probably lots of super subtle behaviours/sounds/etc that we aren't even perceiving. This was something that came up in the peer review process - the reviewers were asking 'but what are the jackdaws picking up on to know their partner is stressed?' and our answer was we simply don't know! so many wonderful mysteries left to wonder at and unpick :)
i recently moved house and have been gifted with a whole clattering of jackdaws ! They are wonderful characters - thank you for helping me understand them more..
Oh I'm so glad you have a clattering of jackdaw in your life! Thank you for your lovely comment.
Congratulations on your publication, Rebecca. It really resonated with me, what you said about neurodivergence and curiosity about the inner lives of others. Beautiful essay, once again.
thank you Mary Beth! It seems to me that many neurodivergent folk are intensely curious about the minds of others (despite some stereotypes to the contrary)
“It is a tonic, to feel so small; to feel like a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.” Absolutely. And it’s what I’m feeling now, traveling in the Galápagos. Life-changing.
oh incredible, Claire! I would love to visit the Galápagos one day. I hope you are having an incredible time.
Thank you, and I am. (My posts are all about the journey there now.)
A beautiful piece of writing Rebecca. I love Jackdaws, they nest in my chimney and chatter away on my roof and I get so much pleasure from watching them. Thank you for adding to my knowledge, it was good to learn more about these birds that always make me smile.
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and can love your jackdaws from fresh angles!
What a wonderful way to begin a Sunday -- the attention to these creatures is inspiring.
Thank you Jan, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this. It's so amazing with how much patronage (and cruelty) we often treat nonhuman beings. 😥
Do you follow the discussion around interspecies communication? Speech buttons and tablets and the like to communicate with all kinds of animals. I love following the story of Parrot Kindergarden on Insta, they just recently published a study on that and they just now have a documentary film out. And I've been using speech buttons with my dog as well, it's really amazing.
I don't know much about this but I am really interested! I've seen videos of a dog that's been trained with a button board and it's fascinating to watch this new method of interaction unfold. I'm a big fan of Irene Pepperburg's work on parrot-human communication (there's a great Moth podcast on her work!). How are the speech buttons going with your dog?
*pepperberg, I should say!
https://parrotkindergarten.com/research/
This might be interesting. 😁
I've made very good experiences with the speech buttons. She was able to indicate when she wanted to go out, or play, or ask for spcific toys or ppl. And also just comment on things happening in our surroundings. It gives animals agency. I love it!
Thank you for a deeper look at the lives of jackdaws and the gorgeous prose, and poem.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Gen!
What joy to be so small—and to be astonished by details like a jackdaw pair being subtly aware of their partner’s mood shifts and to understand the stunning wonder and importance of recognizing the intelligence of the creatures we share this planet with—what joy all this indeed.
As always, rebecca, quite grateful for your words.
so grateful that you are here reading my words, thank you Holly!
There used to be a huge flock of jackdaws near to the school I studied in. They gathered in the trees in the evenings, and the sounds of the flock at dusk are a somewhat deeply ingrained memory. I always found their calls to be a little nostalgic, so when I think back to my highschool days, the jackdaws come to mind quite often along other memories.
oh that's so lovely to read. I feel a similar nostalgia for jackdaws after spending these springs with them, and moving to a place that does not have many. I love the musicality and enthusiasm of their calls!
This is wonderful. I listened to it, instead of reading. What a marvelous reader you are. Being American, I'm a sucker for a British accent! I love knowing what you do, your research, and this gives me great pause--that there is more to things than meets the rapid, hurried eye. I used to play with chickens as a child. I played WITH them, I think. They knew who I was. And the rooster would attack. And attack. And attack. But the hens were every-friendly. Thank you for all this insight and beauty. Just lovely.
oh thank you Rebecca, I'm so glad you enjoyed the audio! I'm sure those hens were enjoying your games just as much as you were! I feel we are able to tap into interspecies communication and shared actions better when we are younger. Perhaps in part because our minds are more open when we are young, and also we are more willing to just engage in play for play's sake!
Thank you so much for becoming a paid subscriber to between two seas, it is so appreciated! I hope you continue to enjoy it :)
Thank you for sharing some reflections from your research. I’ll have to check out you published papers. From one scientist to another, thanks!
Thank you Hillel, I hope you enjoy!
Once again, astonishingly good writing that provokes so many thoughts and feelings. I don’t know how you do it but I’m very glad you do.
this means a lot, thank you Dave!
I love the jackdaws that hang out in the willow tree at the back of my house. There are two huge willows there, but for some reason they have a preference and most sit in just one tree. They like to launch themselves off the top on windy days, fly round in a loop, and go back to do it again. ❤️
oh I love that! corvids seem to be especially good at just having fun ;)
I have a memory of encountering birds (that I’ve remembered as jackdaws) on a high mountain pass on the slopes of the Säntis in October of 1983…and sitting down to watch them for an hour or so because they were so fascinating (and seemed equally curious about me)…but on reflection perhaps they were more likely alpine choughs, and my mind is playing tricks with me…
either way, brilliant birds! Corvids are so wonderfully curious. I love that as we watch them, we too feel watched. Thank you for sharing this lovely memory :)
I very much enjoyed this post, thank you.
I'm so pleased, thank you Jenny!
I love that your scientific investigations help keep the beautiful mystery alive Rebecca. Attention and curiosity fostering more attention and curiosity.
Have you heard of the podcast Telepathy Tapes? While its focus is on telepathic communication between humans, (and is FASCINATING!), I found myself thinking that animals and plants may do this constantly, naturally. Consciousnesses unbound by physical form. How special to devote your skills to jackdaws! You observed chatters and preening, but how fun to imagine all the communication happening that we can’t even begin to detect.:)
this is such a good point - there is SO much we do not know about animal communication that there are probably lots of super subtle behaviours/sounds/etc that we aren't even perceiving. This was something that came up in the peer review process - the reviewers were asking 'but what are the jackdaws picking up on to know their partner is stressed?' and our answer was we simply don't know! so many wonderful mysteries left to wonder at and unpick :)