Nov 21st

How very odd! And how very puzzling ...

When we left the house, at about 7.30 a.m., it was mild with a slight drizzle. It was very cloudy, thus still much darker than yesterday.

There were hardly any raven calls, and no raven to be seen in the first field nor the big field. There were, however, many seagulls, singly flying over the big field. I had the impression that the seagulls were also waiting for food, having cottoned on to the raven feeding.

In the end, two ravens turned up at the top of the big field, but they were not mine. They were timid, and I thought they might have been the young pair, or even the two I scared so much . They didn't approach when I threw a couple of titbits - not until we'd crossed into the raven field. One, then the other followed, flying to sit on the branches of the big tree next to the spinney.

They did not come down into the open field - but one flew into the enclosure. Here, they waited until we were at the opposite side to pick up the scraps. Then they flew off straight away after taking them. Certainly - not my ravens! as these two flew into the trees at the allotment fence, two more turned up, all four tumbling about briefly and landing in the allotments.

What looked to be the same two timid ravens came back - and took off again after a couple more scraps. 

To make sure that these were not my ravens, I decided to go round the spinney the 'more-food' way. 

If these were not my ravens, none should follow, as they don't know anything about this routine. But there was a surprise!

One actually followed us, diffidently, after a brief while, flying, not walking. It then timidly took another scrap! Then this raven flew off - and there were no more ravens on this walk.

That, for me, means that the one who followed us must have been the timid one who usually is together with my bold one. The other might have been one of the two young ones. So - a change in paring up? 

If so - where was my bold raven? What happened to him? 

Also - do the increasingly dark mornings mean that the ravens are getting active a bit later every day?

We'll find out tomorrow. Its Sunday, so a later start is fine. and we've learned that rain doesn't faze the ravens. I just hope my bold raven comes back again!