Picking up from where I left off, I went out today, at 7.25 a.m., to see what the ravens were up to.
The weather was terrible - not cold as such, but raining and blowing a penetrating gale from the West. So - no dawn to speak of.
Unsurprisingly, there were no ravens to be seen when I got to the big field, although I did hear some calls from the boundary to Pontcanna Fields.
The first raven I saw came from the clump of Horse Chestnuts at the corner of the avenue and the ravens field, flying to the sycamore next to the spinney. He came to the ground - one of my young pair, looking a bit bedraggled. His companion had flown to the enclosure. I fed him on the ground, and then both in the enclosure.
While we were thus engaged, they suddenly both stopped eating, cawed loudly and assumed this juvenile begging position.
The reason was that first one raven came flying across, circling back, and then a second appeared, both then flying off to the allotments. I wonder if that was my bold pair.
I went back to the big field, the 'more food' way. One raven followed me, as always first flying into the sycamore, then to the ground. As soon as we were both right on the field, the quarry pair turned up, skittish as always.
Both pairs suddenly took off. What might have scared them were two rather large flocks of little black-headed gulls, who first circled over us, then settled further down on the big field - literally spread across the whole field, from one footpath to the avenue.
And then Archie turned up, jumping up to greet me. He's a black, young and bouncy lurcher. So his owner, a nice young lady, and I went back out of the park, chatting about Madame.
Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow.
