Bird Watching!

[Chris E]

They basically display human traits so we label them "evil". I don't mind them as long as they don't try to peck my eyes out.

 

[Burnham]

Don't lie down and take a nap out in the field...

 

[woodworkingboy]

One thing I have noticed when handling Crows, their bodies are literally hot to touch when you pick them up. I guess a metabolic rate thing, but to keep a large body like a Crows so hot all the time, they need lots of nutrition. Garbage or other bird's babies, it's almost non stop. Keeping Hank fed was a real chore. Big poopers too of course

 

[Chris E]

Don't lie down and take a nap out in the field...

I once visited some friends and slept in the same room as a large uncaged bird (cockatoo), I had slight amount of trouble getting to sleep

 

[cory]

Cory Google crow intelligence, apparently scientists believe crows are as smart as a seven year old human... they can also conspire, recognize human faces & hold grudges

 

[Steve Mack]

I was cleaning up the chicken house one day and took two eggs outside and put them on a stump, a crow came down and took one. He flew up into the big gum next door and stashed it. I grabbed the other one and went back inside, he never saw me.

He came back for it and couldn't believe it was gone, looked every where for it.

 

[cory]

Hahaha!

 

[Chris E]

he woulda bin furious to lose that egg, chicken egg must be a big score compared to a worm etc and that was a potential double

 

[woodworkingboy]

Out behind my shop I put out bits of lunch that might be left over, or sometimes stuff from home. It seems like almost any time of day it will be taken by some Crows that live across the way in some woods, usually within ten minutes. I put it on a piece of metal roofing that covers some wood. If I throw out some rice, not a single grain gets left. Very watchful. Even though I may not see them around, they are paying attention.

 

[Chris E]

Our senses are so dulled compared to wild animals

 

[FireFighterZero]

Of course, a bit of topic again, but have you done any bow hunting Chris?

Dad and others say that once you start bow hunting your senses sharpen right up.

 

[Chris E]

No mate, I haven't done any bow hunting (nor rifle etc). That does make a lot of sense to me though, especially that its specifically bow hunting where I imagine you need to rely on your senses to let you get within good distance.

 

[stig]

Once you master that, there is knife hunting, and after that, "beating them to death with a rock" hunting.
Always something new to strive for.

 

[BlackSmith]

Hunting would be more of a sport if the critters had weapons... I lost interest in hunting at a young age.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Knife hunting of Bear and Boar was once a tradition here. Hunters used dogs to keep the animal occupied, and tried to stay out of sight until there came the opportunity. I don't think an abundantly practiced tradition. I know a chap who was once amongst the practitioners.

 

[stig]

Hunting would be more of a sport if the critters had weapons... I lost interest in hunting at a young age.

For once we agree about something.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Bah! A couple of bourgeois city types you are.

Today I might go to church, then I might go hunting, then I might tell all my friends about socialism.

 

[BlackSmith]

Hell Jim, I live so far back in the sticks there's nothing behind me.

 

[stig]

First time I've been called that, too.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Awww, take yer prunes you two.


ALL I was talking about was that us humans can sharpen our senses, if we want or need to.

 

[stig]

Some of us have been working on that for a long time, Jim.
Bourgeois or not.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Kinda makes me wonder though. Wonder if our modern, convenient life has made us any duller.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Gee, your really stuck on that word.

What do you use your sharpened senses for? Figuring out which radish is the ripest?

 

[FireFighterZero]

Aw, nuts. I was just teasing you guys a bit.

I use my sharpened senses to make my way to the refrigerator in the dark.

 

[stig]

Meet me in a dark alley once and find out.

We are all born with a brain that is a virtual combat computer.
Most people never do anything to maintain that part, but some few paranoics among us, living in countries where you can't take your AR-15 along when you go shopping, do.

With enough practice, one can anticipate an opponents move, simply by reading his body language.
Any untrained fighter will telegraph his move by positioning his body before striking/kicking/whatever.

In stead of seeing an opponent as a human body, you get to where you see him/her as a smorgasbord of opportunities for retaliation. But the "seeing" is done and computed way faster than you can think it through..........more like instinct.

That is , in it's pure essence, what lifelong studies of martial art is about.

Sharpen your fighting sense ( I like calling it the combat computer) to where it takes over and reacts faster than you can think.

Anybody who has spent a lifetime dedicated to the study of martial art, can tell you stories of reacting to an attack, faster than it could have been done consciously, and actually being surprised afterwards, as in " Did I do that"?


Answer enough or do you want me to elaborate?

This should probably have been in the " Martial arts " thread, but then I would have been beaten up in a parking lot by someone with 5 bigger brothers.