March 2nd

Another icy but dry and sunny morning.

I left the house just a couple of minutes before 7 a.m., having heard what can now really be called the 'dawn chorus' about 45 minutes earlier. No raven calls, though ...

Again, though, ravens called as I entered the first field, and I could make out one raven swooping across from Pontcanna Fields to one of the trees at the toddlers' playground. Just as yesterday, this raven, followed a bit later by his companion, flew to the ground at the top of the big field: one of the young pair. Today, they did not caw to me.

Then the bold pair arrived from the ravens field, just as I was starting to throw the scraps. I am now assuming they watch to see if food is forthcoming before they venture to the ground. Only the companion of the bold raven cawed - and only after he'd left with his first haul of scraps.

Then the quarry pair arrived - they did caw when they landed, and generally were more vocal than the other pairs while still keeping well away from me and only picking up the scraps once I turned my back. I threw some scraps into the enclosure for them to pick up - the other two pairs do not go into that enclosure at all - and one, after taking a piece, flew to sit on one fence post, only to take off immediately: I don't know if he slid on the frost-topped fence post top, or if he found the frosty top too cold on his feet ... it did look funny ...

No crows came, but after the first seagull had circled overhead, a large flock came to check out what was going on. Again, the ravens kept very still and did not pick up any scraps while the seagulls were overhead.

Another early morning tomorrow then - it looks as if my thoughts on the role played by the quality of daylight might  be reasonable.