If you’ve ever spent much time looking for wildlife, you may have found yourself (like I do) saying “just” very often. “Oh, never mind, it’s just a squirrel”, “nah, it was just a seal” or “it was just another crow”.

I always end up feeling guilty for ignoring these “just” animals. They are “just” as fascinating as anyone else, and always worth the time. When I was recently waiting for an eagle to do something interesting (they rarely do), I found myself mesmerised by some nearby crows instead. Looking for food along the beach, they knew exactly what they were after: mussels.

Mussels have a pretty good defence in that tough shell, though. It takes brute strength or wily intelligence to break through. This crow would choose a tasty-looking mussel and fly it high into the air. At just the right height, the crow would let go and keep a watchful eye as the mussel smashed open on the rocks below. Et voila: dinner is served.

Crow Tools Vancouver