Quoth Me at the Ravens

 

Nevermore.....please, nevermore.

I was sitting right here in this very chair, yesterday morning pretty early. I hadn't done a bird list yet, and I make at least one every day to keep my streak going...currently at 2320 days and counting. A Common Raven called above, so I started a list with it and added the House Wren that was singing on the porch, and a Song Sparrow from the yard as well.

As I started to rise to go outside and collect a proper list the raven flew right past the big window with three crows in hot pursuit.

By the time I got outdoors camera in hand, it was streaking around the yard trailing crows and grackles like a bride with a really weird train on her gown. Macabre indeed.

Soon the big bird landed on the heifer barn roof, promptly joined by another of its ilk. We have observed that ravens are colonizing silo ladders for nest platforms and we have both an old tile silo near that barn, plus the slide chute for the haymow, which would make a great platform. I believe that one of those things was the lure for these birds.

The neighbors though were full of hate. They bombed. They screamed. They were as brave as little flying tigers, bopping the ravens on their heads, eliciting screeches of outrage. Soon the second bird flew away and was seen no more.

The first one was a toughie though. It stayed even when I walked right over to take photos and video. The crows had to call for reinforcements and came back more than tripled in numbers. 

After a dedicated onslaught of crow after crow after crow, stooping, pecking, and biting, with a few furious grackles thrown in, the raven finally tossed in the towel and took off south. I was pretty relieved.

Although I haven't seen any reports of ravens harming livestock here in the East, they are a scourge out West. I won't tell you what they do to newborn lambs and calves, but it is awful. Look it up....And we have lotsa baby lambies.

Much to my dismay, there was a raven up in the orchard yesterday afternoon...still beleaguered but stubborn. Below is a video I took of some of the action yesterday. Crank up the volume to get an idea of how upset the locals were. Excuse the traffic noise. It's a constant misery here but it is what it is.