We had ravens here today. The boss noticed a commotion going on over the top of heifer barn, when we were out in the milkhouse tearing down. (Otherwise I would not have seen them.) A bunch of crows was mobbing a pair of them, really tearing into them, and they were trying frantically to get away.
It was quite a sight to see, as the wind was really ripping and all the birds were having trouble aiming. The crows were surely winning though. They would swoop in from above, one after another, and pluck at the larger birds' backs, darned near landing on top of them. One raven perched on the heifer barn roof, where he sat like a weather vane until the crows found him. They pounded him so mercilessly that he actually flew in through the high window where we put hay in the mow and hid in there for a minute.
I darned near froze out there watching them with no coat or gloves on, but I have never seen them here at the farm. We counted one on the Christmas Bird Count two years ago and I have seen them in the Adirondack Mountains, but never this far south. Oh, well, we knew it was cold, just not THAT cold.
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2 comments:
We hate to see them close to the pastures during calving. They harass the cows during (and after) the birthing process. Going to check on the cows can be an adrenaline pumping adventure after the ravens have been bugging them.
They also harass snowmobilers in Yellowstone Park.
I knew they caused problems out west with lambs, although I didn't realize that they bothered calves as well.
They are rare here, but we have vultures to fill in the blanks. Supposedly black vultures are the only ones that will harass stock, but we have a flock of enterprising turkey vultures that nest on a cliff up the road. They are going after the calves now.
They pinned two little ones under a feeder wagon last summer and didn't want to leave even when the men went up to bring the calves in.
They were invited to leave in terms that seem to stick with them the rest of last summer, although I suspect we will see them again.
Thanks for stopping by.
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