April 29th

Amazing ravens! 

Wonderful, amazing ravens!

This is what happened this morning:

We left the house at 6.35 a.m., to a grey, damp morning. No sun today, and it was slightly cooler than yesterday.

We went to Llandaff Fields as always, but as we got to the top of the big field, the dogs came bouncing up again, which we try to avoid because Miss Sophie is not happy to have them around.

So I took her back, past the toddlers' playground, into Pontcanna Fields. That meant abandoning the ravens field, but for Miss Sophie's sake I think her training has to come first.

In Pontcanna Fields, we met Billy, a Border Collie, and Marianne: they got on all right, but Billy is more interested in his tennis ball and not so much in dogs, never mind Miss Sophie!

After Billy and Marianne had walked on, we did a few exercises - and one raven turned up. It was one of the young pair: the one who sometimes raises the head feathers. 

I threw her some scraps, and tried to get Miss Sophie to do her sit-stays. 

Then, from the hedge and the direction of the riding stables, my bold raven turned up! He got his scraps, and again he hopped off for a few feet when Miss Sophie broke her stay and tried to chase him ...

Then, he called - and from far away, from the allotments beyond the ravens field, I could just make out answering calls. 

We turned our backs and walked towards home - when I heard a swoosh behind us.

There were four ravens on the ground!

That was just like in the winter, when they came as I stood in the big field, the top near the spinney.

So my bold pair and the young pair recognise me, their food source, in a totally different surroundings, with a different dog, and that the bold raven called the young pair was amazing. That the young pair came, and that they lined up, all four of them, was simply fabulous!

Now we'll go there first, tomorrow, and try to do our training, as well as feed the ravens - and avoid the dogs which upset Miss Sophie.