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.

Jan 6th

It started snowing in the night, and has been snowing intermittently all morning. There are about 4 inches of snow here in my vicinity.

We did go out, disregarding my raging cold, and were leaving the house at 7.25 a.m. while the snow was still falling.

It was dark, and we had not heard any raven calls. I did not expect to see any raven, but I wanted to leave some scraps for them, in case they came later.

I did not want to wait until the snow stopped, or until it got light, because by then the snow on the pavements and roads will be packed down by people and cars - and will become icy and treacherous to walk on.

And my final reason was to give Madame a treat - she so loves the snow!

We got to the ravens field - meeting only one dog walker. No raven calls - but when I got to the enclosure, two ravens came. it must have been the young pair - I hope they found the scraps in the snow. They kept well away and flew back into the trees as soon as we turned back to the big field. At first, not one raven came, then one made it to the ground there.

However, as I turned back to walk towards him, he flew off before I could give him some scraps: too many happy dogs suddenly rushed towards us!

Madame and all the other dogs really were so happy!

All of them, no matter the breed, size or age, kept eating the fresh snow - they had a wonderful time! They thoroughly enjoyed themselves while we humans stood around shivering, snow being blown into our faces.

It will stay like this for the foreseeable future - so it is quite possible we won't make it out tomorrow if conditions worsen. Thus I am so glad Madame had such a good time this morning.

As for the ravens - I so wish they would come into my little back garden.

Jan 5th

I have a raging cold - its been going on for a few days, and has been getting worse since yesterday. 

So we stayed at home today, especially as snow was coming down early this morning. 

We had not heard many raven calls at that time, and in view of their happy scavenging of rubbish bin contents, I decided that indoor games for me and Madame were the order of the day.

As there are no current raven encounters to note today, I am taking this opportunity of reporting two incidents which have not found their way into these diary notes:

1) Some time ago, in November, when Madame was still well, we'd just finished feeding the bold pair in the ravens field. We were going towards the spinney, Madame being off her lead, when the bold raven swooped over her, length-wise, from tail to nose. He was about half a yard above her.

She was not bothered, and it did not look like an attack to me.

Later, I was told by another dog walker that in early autumn (before I started my feeding experiments), the same happened to her dog, a young, small Border Collie called Tilly.

I wonder why it happened, and I also wonder if, come the breeding season, it will happen again.

2) Last week, coming back from a brief foray into the ravens field, one of the young pair flew to sit on a low branch on one of the young maples at the spinney, next to the footpath. 

I'd just turned to the spinney to see where Madame had gone - and there he was - at the height of my eyes, about a yard away.

What a magnificent bird: huge, glossy, unafraid, looking at me ... I looked back at him, and stood there for a few minutes, in admiration.

Then I had to get Madame - and regretfully, because of the freezing temperatures, I have not been able at all to bring my camera: how I would have loved to take a few photos of him!

More snow and ice predicted, for today, tonight and tomorrow ... no end in sight for the deep freeze here ...