Jan 11th

It was another cold morning. The sky was still so dark when we left the house at 7.45 a.m., visibility was very bad. 

This was due to the thick cover of cloud, which hasn't moved all day. 

Some wet stuff came down from those clouds - snow, rain, sleet? Who knows - it was far too intermittent to make out. But the damp cold was awful!

We had heard the ravens call much earlier, and as soon as we go to the first field, we heard them again, as if they were announcing our arrival. More calls, from the Pontcanna Fields side as we walked up the big field - Madame ecstatically rolling in the snow ever so often.

At the top of the big field, one, then the second raven came to the ground, from the spinney - and as yesterday, the second young pair soon arrived from the quarry side. I had lots of scraps for them, but even so, there was one almighty scuffle between them, one from each pair really laying into each other. It was plain competition for one little scrap - the other two ravens didn't get involved. 

My young pair is less skittish when Madame is off the lead, and one of them didn't even budge when she walked past him to get the scrap he'd overlooked. 

Then, the single raven turned up as well, waiting in the distance until I went towards him and threw him a scrap - he then hopped closer, but it was too dark to see if this was my bold raven.

While I was doing this, the other four squawked loudly behind my back. They had hopped quite close, to about a couple of yards, so they got more food.

Then Bas turned up and the quarry ravens took off immediately, as did the single raven. My young pair didn't seem to mind, one of them calmly swallowed the last scrap, standing on the ground, while Bas walked past him - just a yard away.

We went back home after all the food had gone - too cold for a longer outing! 

The scraps I had put out in the back garden had all been eaten by nightfall yesterday - but looking at the footprints, it probably went into some blackbirds or robins, not into a raven.

Heavy snow forecast for the night and tomorrow - if not snow, then rain and ice. Never mind, the socks-over-boots trick works fine, so we'll go out: the ravens will get their food!

Sunday, Jan 10th

We did it! The trick with the socks-over-the-boots worked!*)

I went out much later than usual, after 8 a.m., and found it so mild, compared to the last days, that I went back and got Madame to come as well.

She's been getting so much better, and was so happy out in the park. The snow there was still snow-like rather than ice, so she enjoyed it much more than at Christmas. 

Unfortunately, she got bowled over by an excited Bart - I'm now watching her like a hawk to see if she's still fine by tonight.

It was grey, no sun, snowflakes slowly and intermittently coming down - and the wind from the NE had not yet got up to the predicted strength.

As for the ravens ...

We have heard their calls in the morning during the four days when we not in the park. So they were all right. We heard them again, as soon as we were in the park - and their calls were coming from Pontcanna Fields, so I was reassured - they had enough to eat.

Once we got to the top of the big field, not having seen one raven until then - there they came, from the spinney, to the ground.

My young pair! 

And within the time I had thrown a few scraps, the other young pair came from the quarry side. They all got a large amount of scraps - Madame participating to the extent that she noticed where one piece had not been picked up - and getting it for herself.

There were a few scuffles, between each one of the pairs, and then between the two pairs. But it was mostly sound and fury, no damage done. 

Once every piece of scrap had gone, we went back home. I was so glad that my ravens had not forgotten me!

Tomorrow, we'll get out again now that we have seen we can do it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*) The 'trick' is to pull terry cloth socks over one's boots, with the terry side out. I had done that once before, ruining a few pairs of socks which I missed when the cold grip started. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten why those socks had gone ... 

I'd heard this trick mentioned again a few days ago - so when I had the chance to get to a supermarket yesterday, I got a few cheap pairs in a suitable size, and here we are!

Jan 9th

No change to yesterday: the same icy conditions, Madame getting a bit better, ravens not yet come to the back garden, and the need of doing some foraging on my own behalf (fridge was empty ...) meant I've not been able to try out my 'trick' in regard to getting out to the park.

Sorry about that - and more than sorry for the ravens!

Hopefully, with the fresh snow predicted overnight, going out, even just on my own, might be possible.

If so, I shall bring loads of raven food ...

Jan 8th

Here is a satellite picture  of what Wales looks like, today: snow and ice covering the whole country!

We stayed indoors, on the vet's advice in regard to Madame, who has rallied some and seems to get better again. At her age, the bitter cold is too much for her, with her arthritis.

I've put out some scraps for the ravens in the back garden - in places where the cats can't get at without massive, loud retaliation from Madame. 

I do think the ravens can see where the scraps are, and they may come, driven by hunger.

There is no end to this ice and snow in sight - I am pondering how to get to the park, on my own, to get some food to them, perhaps tomorrow, when we're promised temperatures hovering around freezing rather than massively below.

Jan 7th

Ice everywhere - and temperatures well below freezing today, not just in the early morning. 

We heard some raven calls while it was still dark, around 6.30 a.m., but that is all I can say about ravens today.

We did not go out - too hazardous, and I'm afraid Madame is not doing well. The cold seems to have exacerbated either her arthritis, or the injury she had in the summer. So keeping her warm indoors is in order - if this gets worse, we'll see the vet tomorrow.

This will be all for today, I'm sorry - but I'm a bit upset because of my dear Madame.