Sunday, Dec 27th

There was heavy rain during the night - it woke us up, it was that heavy. That got rid of the ice all right - back to mud, then, with a very few small patches of ice remaining on the grass.

The ravens started calling about an hour before official sunrise, which is shortly after 8 a.m. here. with the days getting longer, I'll check if this holds true.

When we left the house around 7.40 a.m., there were huge dark clouds in the West, and the dawn was very overcast and dark. There was also a very stiff breeze from the West, which was cold and penetrating.

Once we got to the bottom of the big field we could hear ravens call from the boundaries of Llandaff Fields, from each side. We didn't see any, however. Making our way up, and being the only dog walker around, I kept looking, but it was too dark to make out any ravens in the trees.

Right on cue, though, as we came to the top of the big field, the bold one came swooping to the ground, and then his companion. After they had picked up a few scraps, both fluffed themselves up and croaked at me. 

Then the young pair arrived, again from the Horse Chestnut Avenue, but this time they were allowed to take some of the scraps without being attacked. I assume that they can now access their food caches, as the ground has unfrozen, so the hunger is not quite as bad, and the competition not as fierce.

I am constantly amazed to note how close the bold raven is willing to come to us, Madame sitting at my side. When we walked away towards another raven, he followed so close behind, hopping - he was about two paces away, within a yard. 

He also does not wait until we turn our backs before he picks a scrap - he just goes for it.

Another thing I noticed today: he is the only one of the three pairs I've now met repeatedly, who fluffs up the feathers on his head, to make himself look bigger. All the others not only do not do this - they try and make themselves look slimmer.

That means he is the dominant raven in this group.

On the way back, a flock of black-headed sea gulls had settled on the far side of the big field. That is a place where I've noticed ravens make holes in the ground, to hide food. 

Its too far away to note which raven it is - but today, I saw one raven actually swoop towards and low over the flock of gulls - it looked like an attack to me. The sea gulls immediately took of and flew away, being chased for a short stretch by that single raven, who then went back to the part of the field he'd cleared.

I've never seen that before!

I hope the wind will dry the roads and pavements by evening - we're in for another night of frost, with freezing fog tomorrow ...

BOXING DAY

Thats more like it! 

There was rain overnight, and it was milder this morning, with wind from the West. We got out about 8 a.m., with both dogs.

Unfortunately, what looked like perfectly normal mud on the playing fields turned out to be ice - so walking was still unsafe. 

We made it to the top of the big field, where I heard a lovely soft squawk on my right.

And there they were - two ravens, sitting on the young ash trees, low down and close to the footpath. I stood still, and they came swooping down. 

It was my bold raven and his companion!

I fed them - which was a bit awkward because Bas thought I was throwing the scraps for him, and, although on the lead, he always tried to get them ... Madame is far more civilised!

But even the huge Bas did not deter my bold raven, who again tried to get as many scraps into his crop as he possibly could.

Then a young pair flew in, from the Horse Chestnut Avenue - and my bold raven took extreme objection.

He and his companion swooped on them, squawking and flapping their wings - it looked as if they were beating the young pair with their wings.

Those two stayed well away from us, didn't dare to come even within fifteen yards to get some scraps - and then flew off. Thus I couldn't tell which one of the two young pairs they were.

Between them, my bold raven pair and Madame and Bas got quite a lot to eat!

I am glad I had brought so much - these two ravens must have been quite hungry. Because of the frozen ground they couldn't get at their food caches since Monday. 

I am also happy because obviously my bold raven knew exactly who I was, and what I was there for. Having big Bas with me did not confuse him, and although he was a bit nervous at the start, having that big dog so close, he soon realised he wasn't going to be chased away and came to within a yard to pick up the scraps, His companion, as always, kept a bit further away.

If one could hug a raven, I'd have hugged my bold one!

Back to 'normal' tomorrow, Bas is going home tonight. The weather should be acceptable - and hopefully the bit of extra sunshine we had for a couple of hours might have got rid of the rest of the ice. 

We'll see!

CHRISTMAS DAY!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY!

Still sheets of ice pretending to be roads and pavements - but then there came the sun. Not enough to thaw the ice, but enough for us three (Madame, Bas and me) to venture out, well after one p.m.

We slithered to Llandaff fields, but the fields were still covered in ice, not nice for the dogs to walk on.
There were quite a few people about -mostly men and children: probably kicked out by their mums while she's dealing with the Christmas dinner: turkey with all the trimmings ...

We heard the ravens call, from the direction of Pontcanna Fields, and from the quarry side - but none came.
Madame looked unhappy on the ice, so we slithered back home.

Here is a nice video of a raven enjoying the snow:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/video-playing-in-the-snow/1552/

No snow, and no slopes here in Llandaff Fields ...

We'll see if tomorrow will be less icy ...

Enjoy the rest of your Christmas Holidya!

Christmas Eve

Alas, another day without ravens ...

It is sad, but the state of the pavements and roads is still so perilous that I didn't want to take a chance - not on this day! Not when, according to local news, 300 people had to go to the hospital in this area with broken limbs!

Not being out in the cold has helped Madame a bit more with her recovery. She is keen to go out - lets hope we don't have any more frost overnight, and that the little bit of thawing we had means we can hop from  one ice-free patch to the next until we get to the grass!

Meanwhile, here are two links to brief summaries of some of Bernd Heinrich's magnificent field work with ravens:

http://www.mnforsustain.org/wolf_ravens_determine_wolf_packs_milius.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/apr/29/theobserversuknewspages.uknews1

Have a beautiful and  Merry Christmas!

Dec 23rd

The roads and pavements here have been sheets of ice throughout the morning and afternoon, so we abandoned our walk. Not only am I not keen to have an accidental fall - one of Madame's Border Collie  acquaintances actually cut her foreleg when she was running after her ball and crashed through the ice sheet covering the grass on the field.

Sorry, ravens ...! Lets hope for better conditions tomorrow.

In the meantime, here is a brief overview of one of my favourite books on ravens by Bernd Heinrich, 'The Mind of the Raven':

"Much like a sleuth, Heinrich involves us in his quest, letting one clue lead to the next. But as animals can only be spied on by getting quite close Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming a "raven father," as well as observing them in their natural habitat, studying their daily routines, and in the process painting a vivid picture of the world as lived by the ravens. At the heart of this book are Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation andanalysis, we become their intimates too.
Throughout history there has existed an extraordinary relationship between humans and ravens. Ravens, like early humans, are scavengers on the kills of great carnivores. As scavengers, ravens were associated with hunters they found in the north: wolves and, later, men. The trinity of wolf, man, and raven in the hunt is an extremely ancient one. In considering the appeal of the raven, Bernd Heinrich suspects that a meeting of the minds might reside in that hunting trinity.
Heinrich's passion for ravens has led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven takes you on an exotic journey--from New England to Germany, Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic--offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature.
Heinrich has a true gift; through his stories, his beautiful writing, illustrations, and photography, the ravens come alive. Each new discovery and insight into their behavior is thrilling to read. just as the title promises, the reader is given a rare glimpse into the mind of these wonderful creatures."


Link:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v_8pNAAACAAJ&dq=Bernd+Heinrich&ei=RwkyS62ZIJS8ywSV6oSuAQ&cd=6


A truly inspiring book - worth reading even if you're not a zoologist.