The Unlikely Visitor at the Putnam Post Office

Last Thursday was memorable for a few reasons. First, because I mailed my retirement application into the state retirement board; second, because of a surprising encounter with a visitor to the Putnam Post Office.

As I descended the steps of the post office, I heard the distinct "caw" of a crow, or so I assumed. The persistent cawing became so loud, I was sure some bird was going to land on my head. Stopping to look for the sound, I looked up to see an enormous black bird perched on the parapet of the stone post office building. He -- or she -- was doing sort of a soft shoe dance, and was making its crazy cawing noises which echoed between the downtown buildings.

Within a few minutes, more passersby joined me, standing in front of the post office, necks craned to marvel at the unusual sight. A woman said "it's not a crow, it's a raven." Someone else pointed out that there was another raven on a nearby steeple, and it did seem like they were occasionally calling to each other. This unexpected visitor seemed curious about the impromptu gathering below as it leaned over toward us, continuing its shrill cawing, and performing its skips and hops to our collective delight. We took pictures and videos with our phones, looking like tourists in our own town.

A raven! Of course! I wasn't sure if I had ever actually seen one. Perhaps my greatest familiarity with ravens was from the famed Edgar Alan Poe poem The Raven. "Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore'".

The Cornell Lab of Ornothology All About Birds website calls the common raven "intriguing" and notes that ravens are "among the smartest of all birds." And, "ravens are confident, inquisitive birds that strut around or occasionally bound forward with light, two-footed hops." A 2013 article in The (New London) Day, Ravens: Nevermore no longer (Robert Tougias, 1/4/13) explains that over the last few decades the raven has slowly extended its territory south from remote northern New England, probably due to global warming. It is a highly adaptable bird, but is still largely a wilderness bird. So its appearance in downtown Putnam was rather unlikely.

A few days later I told a coworker about my encounter. She in turn told me a story about a friend who had an owl fly into her house and die, and that was a bad omen, and the friend became very ill. The native American tribes people that the friend had lived near had used herbs and incense to try to rid the house of evil spirits but their efforts failed.

Although I am not of a superstitious nature, this suggestion was a little unsettling. I researched "ravens and superstitions" and learned that the raven is quite enigmatic, with different cultures embracing opposing beliefs about its spiritual significance. While some see the raven as a fore-teller of death (probably thanks to Poe), or a symbol of war, others identify the raven as a good omen, associated with wisdom and magic.The Celtics believe that a raven on the roof brings prosperity.

But I prefer this definition of the raven: The raven, bird of prophecy and bravery, protector of seers and clairvoyants.

And even if the raven is but a bird, with no exotic and mysterious association, it was a very cool experience. I've included a very short video -- not sure if Telegram readers will be able to upload it -- which isn't too good but captures the sound pretty well.