Crows/Ravens are difficult to photograph because they are all black. I notice the sky already turning a digital teal/blue color. The only way I can photograph them is by over exposing them severely turning everything else in the frame to crap. I gave up on crows/ravens a long time ago...they're not worth my time nor my shutter count. I'm sorry crows/ravens.
Porkphoto, I can see where you are coming from and simpler and easier images are far more relaxing but on the other side of the coin, an image that is technically more difficult to take, that satisfies that goal of a ideal image of a crow / raven. That one image gives a geater sense of pride compaired to a quantity of easy images,
i found them ok to image, as you say when they are in the air you have to expose for the bird, hence why i shoot in manual mode, with wildlife you don't always get to place your subject
