Overslept again - its the longer darkness, and no birdsong to wake me up. It was not as cold as yesterday, a bit more cloudy perhaps, but again dry and no wind.
We were running a good 15 minutes late, but that mishap at least seems to have led to a tentative answer to the question of how the ravens recognise me.
As we got into the first part of Llandaff fields, Marianne and Billy came towards us from Pontcanna Fields. Marianne is a tad taller than I am - and she was wearing a red jacket. Two ravens appeared from Pontcanna Fields, and landed on the footpath in front of her! As she didn't do anything, they flew into the trees again, and then back to Pontcanna Fields. It was too far away for me to recognize them, but I thought this was quite significant: its the combination of a tall person with a Border Collie - dogs which are quite distinctive with their mostly black-and-white coats.
We walked on to the ravens' field. None there to wait for us, initially, but they did appear. Madame had a few tries at chasing them - but while they flapped off they did not fly up into the trees.
We had the now usual feeding routine, with me throwing bits into the fenced-off plot. Madame got a few titbits herself, the reason being that I might perhaps train her not to chase the ravens because of the food!
Again, the bold one tried to scoff evey piece he could lay his beak on. At one time he had four bits stored in his crop!
I've got to work on this feeding technique - its patently unfair on the other raven. He only gets a bit when the bold one flies of to cache his loot in the ground. On the other hand, the bold one seems to have learned that there is a second piece coming, which it is worth his while to wait for ...
This time, as we'd finished walking round the enclosure, both of them flew to sit on a fence post, and both croaked at me. After having got a 'reward' for that performance, they both flew across to the other side and to the trees at the boundary to the allotments.
We went back round the spinney by the tenniscourts - the 'other' way - and the ravens did not follow this time.
So - more questions in regard to their following behaviour: did they not see us leave?
I'm not sure they have already got that this is the 'no-more-food' exit, not after one example.
Tomorrow we can check out the part which is played by the time of day: I've got to be much earlier than the last few days, so it will be a bit darker - but, as always, weather permitting!
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