A Symphony of Ravens

We went to SF to shop and look at the decorations and were gone for 4 days.  The ravens had Fred to feed them the chicken eggs along with feeding and playing with Andy the cat.  The next morning after our arrival home- there they were, the ravens at 7:30 AM-right on time!

While in SF- the City by the Bay- we drove down to Ocean Beach and what to my surprised eye did I see but an "unkindness" of juvenile ravens.  I drove right into a parking place near the ravens.  I have decided to rename the plural noun for ravens from an "unkindness" to a "symphony".  A symphony of black ravens is a much more poetic and appealing name- don't you think? 
There was a man about my age sitting on a bench by the Ocean Beach walkway.  He had a bag of food with him and was feeding 5 juvenile ravens.  He would put a piece of food on the back of the back support of the bench and a raven would come and pick it up.  This was about 16" from the man's body.  The man did not turn around and look at the raven, but let the bird pick up the piece of food in peace.  The man told me he had retired and came down everyday to the bench by the beach to watch the birds.  He had made friends with the ravens.  There were other birds there too- seagulls, pigeons, and black birds.  The seagulls beat out the ravens for the food if it is thrown out.  They are good at swooping down and catching food in mid air.  I learned that when I threw out some pieces of granola bars that I had in the car.  So after that I put the food right by the ravens on the ground so that they could get it easily.  I had a nice conversation with the retired man and told him about the Nature show on PBS on Ravens- The Smartest Birds.  We had just seen it in the hotel one night.  At the end of the raven program- a man who was interviewed said- Once you become aware of ravens- you are hooked for life.  I believe it- because where ever I go I am aware of the sky and am scanning for ravens whether I am aware of it or not.