Early in the morning, before dawn breaks, all one can her now are the robins. The ravens start calling about an hour later.
It was mild when I left the house at 7.40 a.m., the wind from the North East had not picked up yet. There were thick clouds both in the East, hiding the dawn light, and in the West. But in between were patches of clear sky, tinted a delicate pale blue and soft yellowy pink.
I went along the wall near the first field. Madame loved walking along the wall and he trees. It is like a huge dog newspaper.
When I got to the top of the big field, there were raven calls, and I saw one, who flew from one of the tall trees in the spinney further down into a smaller one. As I rounded the spinney into the ravens field, no raven was there on the grass.
But then, getting to the enclosure, there they were, sitting on a fence post, one to the right, one to the lft of me. I hadn't seen them flying there, because it was still too dark.
Again, it was my young pair, and again they were very shy, picking up the scraps I threw into the enclosure only after my back was turned. Going back into the big field the 'more food' way, none followed at first - then one came, flying to the ground. His companion did not come, and he flew off after he'd got a couple more scraps. The quarry pair did not turn up, nor did my bold raven.
I assume the flock of little black-headed gulls circling overhead kept them away.
And then there were Toby and Cookie, the Border Collies, with their owners. I went up to talk to them. Both had lost dogs before, so they knew what it is like for me. Both miss Madame, who always was so happy to greet them with ecstatic face licks.
Again, I had scraps left over when I went back home - they used to be for our last little obedience exercise. I still can see her happyy face, looking up expectantly, tail wagging, smiling, doing her heel work ...
