Feb 12th

It was as good as broad daylight when I left the house at 7.30 a.m. Still cold, but dry, and the wind hardly noticeable. The ground was frozen hard, but there was no frost on the grass, which looked dun-coloured and dead. More clounds than yesterday meant that the sun was not visible.

There were numerous raven calls coming from the boundaries of Llandaff Fields, and the first raven I saw was again checking out the waste bins and the food waste in the first field. He flew into the huge lime tree, eyeing me, but it was not one of 'my' ravens. I think he's the one I've seen going through the food waste bags, and he is probably also the one I saw a few days ago at the bottom of the Horse Chestnut Avenue near the big road. He flew off.

I walked to the ravens field, no other ravens to be seen - but lots of dogs! Must be the increasing daylight which gets them all out ... While they chased each other, the ravens preferred watching from the sycamore at the ravens field, some flying off again, not being happy with being chased by some juvenile spaniels, who hugely enjoyed doing just that. 

In the end, there were only two coming to the ground, eventually. One was my bold raven, the other, I think, was one of the young pair. It is their behaviour which allows me to identify them. The bold raven's companion has taken to erecting her head feathers, and she is less shy that the one who came to the ground today.

The bold raven again scoffed as much as he could, eating quite a few scraps himself before storing the rest in his gullet and flying off. As the ground is frozen hard, none of the ravens can make their food-hiding holes quickly enough so that dogs won't get at them.

 

I walked back to the big field, only the bold raven following me briefly for a few mores craps - but the dog population increased even more, so he prudently vanished as well.

The ravens must have started to build their nests for this year's breeding season, I think. That could be the explanation for their coming singly and not in pairs. With the dawn now starting perceptibly earlier, and thus the dog walkers coming out earlier, it seems a good idea for me to do the same ... we'll see how that works out after the weekend - daylight or not, most people like their weekend lay-ins, thus I expect the park to be less populated tomorrow and Sunday, giving me the chance to meet my bold raven again.

Feb 11th

Well, the weather was the same - only more so! Unlike yesterday however, the arctic wind from the North had picked up considerably, and it was perishing! 

The sunrise made up for that: stripes of dark grey, pale greenish gold, pale blue and a most impressive rose-orange had formed right across the sky, and by 8 a.m. the sun was visible over the rooftops.

I left the house at 7.30 a.m. The raven calls had been very faint in the early morning, when the stars were still dotted across the sky, and the robins also were sounding subdued. That might have been due to the cold winds.

The first raven was in the first field - right next to waste basket. Food remains had been dragged onto the frozen ground, and he was investigating. He took off as soon as I approached, so i don't know which one he was.

There were only a few raven calls coming from Pontcanna Fields, but no ravens until I got to the spinney. Then two ravens swooped in from the allotments, one sitting on the shed roof, the other on a tree right at the border of the spinney. The one on the roof made the usual cawing calls - the one on the tree gave me the lovely soft quorking noise.  

They came to the ground as I approached the enclosure: it was my young pair. As they were feeding on the scraps in the enclosure, they called loudly, and first one, then a second raven came flying over, coming from Pontcanna Fields. The first one flew quite low, then both turned round and flew back.

Next, a seagull came, the sunlight colouring the underside of its wings.

Meanwhile, my young pair had taken off, so I went back towards the spinney. As I walked on, two ravens landed, one right in front of me: my bold pair! 

Their behaviour is so unmistakeably different from the other two pairs: my bold one walking up to me, and scoffing everything I threw - no matter how hard I tried to throw some scraps behind his back and to his companion. She made no move to get at the scraps, just waiting patiently until the bold one finally took off. Again, as two days ago, he first ate whatever he got, then started to store the rest in his gullet. 

Once he'd gone, his companion took two scraps and then flew off herself. Interestingly, she did not erect her head feathers today - I assume she didn't do this because there were no other ravens around.

Then Archie and Duffy bounced up as I was walking to the big field. I had a chat with their owners, and as we talked, one raven flew into the big sycamore. He squawked loudly after a minute, impatiently, and as we kept on talking about the cold weather, he did it again. - and then flew away.

Resuming my walk to the big field, I noticed that meanwhile the flock of black-headed seagulls had appeared and settled on the big field - and the raven had gone. No other ravens appeared as I made my way back.

With the weather predicted to stay cold and dry, I hope that I can entice my bold pair to come again tomorrow.

Feb 10th

That investigation failed ...

It was even colder than yesterday, and there was a watery sunshine when I left the house at the much later time of 7.50 a.m. The earlier raven calls had subsided, and not one raven was to be seen until I was well into the ravens field - practically up to the enclosure.

Then, the young pair arrived - from the top end of the small arboretum, opposite the ravens field. They must have given up on me. They did feed on the scraps, with their usual behaviour, but were not interested in following me back into the big field, where I arrived at the exact time as yesterday. They did give a couple of calls, but nothing exactly jubilant or attention-seeking.

Only one of the young pair turned up eventually in the big field - and the quarry pair had split, one on the ground in the middle of the big field, not bothering to come, the other sort of joining the single raven from the young pair.

Both took some scraps, but flew off after having taken a couple of them.

Of course - not a feather to be seen of the bold pair!

So - what happened? 

It was not due to any dogs being around, nor due to school children marching across the big field.

The one reason - which I really should have remembered! - was that today the rubbish is being collected, so the streets in the area here have had their bags with food refuse out since last evening (that is the law ...)

Local cats, the urban fox living in the vicinity, and earlier this morning the seagulls have had a feast - and so did the ravens! I actually saw a couple scavenging, they flew up onto the roof tops pretty smartish as I approached, so I couldn't make out if it was one of my six, and if so, which one.

Thus - a failed investigation. 

I shall try again tomorrow, since the weather (frost, cold, dry) is predicted to remain the same.

Feb 9th

It was cold again, and the sky was mostly grey and gloomy when I left the house at 7.30 a.m. The wind came from the North, and it was decidedly nippy! Earlier, I had heard the robins, and some far-away raven calls coming from Pontcanna Fields. 

That is where I went first this morning, to see if I could find my bold raven. 

I did find a raven pair - but they were keeping well away, so those were definitely not my bold pair. But I was rewarded with a view of the dawn, the sky a dramatic orange-pink in the East.

I went back to the ravens field, and the young pair were waiting for me, sitting in the trees in the spinney. One made a soft cawing noise. Feeding them, first on the ground, then in the enclosure elicited the same behaviour from them as already described so many times.

I then went back to the big field, the young pair following me in their usual fashion. As soon as I got to the enclosure there, the quarry pair turned up as well, one of the birds still sporting that brown patch on his chest.

As both pairs don't approach the scraps unless my back is turned, it was difficult for me to see which one started a small kerfuffle. All four were at it, but it was not serious.

 

Then, from Pontcanna Fields, my bold pair arrived!

Interestingly, the quarry pair retreated immediately into the enclosure, and the young pair immediately assumed the juvenile begging posture, squawking softly and walking in this posture behind the bold pair.

As I threw the scraps to them, the bold raven walked straight up to me, again picking up what he could get. His companion meanwhile had the head feathers erected slightly. These feathers make her head look much bigger and darker.

Two schoolboys walked straight through the raven assembly, but the ravens hopped on a bit, to get further out of their way, but not flying off.

I got rid of all the scraps - the bold raven this time actually eating quite a few, and not storing them in his gullet.

Now the next question is: did the bold pair turn up because it has been so cold for the last four days, making it difficult to find food - or did they turn up because of the time of day? I was about half an hour later today than usual because of my visit to Pontcanna Fields. 

I am inclined to believe that the time of day - or rather, the light conditions - are the main reason, but perhaps it is a combination of cold and daylight. Tomorrow I will go out later to find out. It will be even colder not just tomorrow but also the next few days, which will give me the opportunity to investigate.

Feb 8th

Another winter day: grey, grim, cold - but even though the sky was covered in thick dark clouds, the lengthening daylight does hint at spring to come.

I left the house at 7.30 a.m., having heard raven calls from Pontcanna Fields, and more robins and blackbirds singing their hearts out.

As I was getting to the top of the big field, not having seen or heard a single raven, I was joined by Toby, the Border Collie, and his owner. we walked to the ravens field, chatting. One raven flew into the tall sycamore, and one, right in front of us, flew to sit on one of the fence posts at the 'usual' enclosure. 

While we walked towards it, chatting, and while I kicked Toby's tennis ball, the first raven flew from the sycamore to the maple next to the tennis courts. 

There, he made a few soft croaking sounds. 

This is the second time he has done so, he seems to do this when I am with another dog walker and dog. I think he is trying to tell me that I should give him some food - I refrain from throwing scraps to the open ground when dogs like Toby or Bas are around, because they will scoff them. 

We walked round the enclosure, I threw my scraps into it, and both ravens picked them up. It was my young pair, both again exhibiting the behaviour I have been describing at length.

As we walked back into the big field, closer to the Horse Chestnut Avenue than I usually go, one followed us, again first flying into the sycamore, then to the ground. He did get a couple of scraps as Toby had run off to greet Cookie, but flew off when Toby returned.

Today, I was able to track down the one raven who hangs about right at the entrance to Llandaff Fields. I was hoping that this might be my bold one.  It was not ... 

So more investigations needed, weather permitting. More cold and ice has been predicted for the coming days, and we don't know yet if it will engulf us here as well.