I have a raging cold - its been going on for a few days, and has been getting worse since yesterday.
So we stayed at home today, especially as snow was coming down early this morning.
We had not heard many raven calls at that time, and in view of their happy scavenging of rubbish bin contents, I decided that indoor games for me and Madame were the order of the day.
As there are no current raven encounters to note today, I am taking this opportunity of reporting two incidents which have not found their way into these diary notes:
1) Some time ago, in November, when Madame was still well, we'd just finished feeding the bold pair in the ravens field. We were going towards the spinney, Madame being off her lead, when the bold raven swooped over her, length-wise, from tail to nose. He was about half a yard above her.
She was not bothered, and it did not look like an attack to me.
Later, I was told by another dog walker that in early autumn (before I started my feeding experiments), the same happened to her dog, a young, small Border Collie called Tilly.
I wonder why it happened, and I also wonder if, come the breeding season, it will happen again.
2) Last week, coming back from a brief foray into the ravens field, one of the young pair flew to sit on a low branch on one of the young maples at the spinney, next to the footpath.
I'd just turned to the spinney to see where Madame had gone - and there he was - at the height of my eyes, about a yard away.
What a magnificent bird: huge, glossy, unafraid, looking at me ... I looked back at him, and stood there for a few minutes, in admiration.
Then I had to get Madame - and regretfully, because of the freezing temperatures, I have not been able at all to bring my camera: how I would have loved to take a few photos of him!
More snow and ice predicted, for today, tonight and tomorrow ... no end in sight for the deep freeze here ...
