Buried Treasure

As I walk back from a pizza shop (that puts Goudy Commons to shame), I take a brief detour through Wilson Park. On the outskirts, I immediately spot a crow sifting through leaves next to the curb. It gingerly scoops up a pile of leaves and throws them in the air, searching for something. As it hops about, I am reminded of the book Crow Planet in which the author speaks of the crows ability to move on the ground. She describe the crows's hop as a "sideways-skipping-sashay", an apt description of the bouncing gait I see. The author also mentions that this movement is used when the crow becomes anxious. Perhaps it was noticed me? The crow cocks its head to one side and I immediately get the feeling that I am being watched. I pretend to be studying a nearby tree until the crow moves on. After a few more attempts, the crow gives up and flies across the street to visit a fellow bird. My attention is quickly drawn to a nearby grey squirrel who is sniffing the ground obsessively. It darts back and forth across the ground stopping ever so often to press its nose to the soil. It gets within a few feet of me, close enough for me to hear the tiny snuffling noise it makes. Finally, in a flurry of movement, a small nut is pull from the ground. The squirrel immediately begins to feast and in a minute, the nut is reduced to mere crumbs. Meal complete, it sets off, nose to the ground, in search of more buried treasure.