The Ravens of Elk, California

This past weekend we went to a gig with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers.  It was held at the Greenwood Pier Inn in the tiny hamlet of Elk, California.  Elk is on the north coast in Mendocino County.  Our location at the Inn was on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  This afforded a great view of a nearby promontory where there lived- what else? a pair of nosy ravens.  Ah yes the ravens would fly by the windows and check us out.  Oh alas and alack, I had no eggs but I did have some delicious oatmeal, walnut and raisen cookies from a bakery in Healdsburg.  I broke up the cookies and put a piece out on the little deck- whap- raven scooped it up.  I loved to see his tail feathers spread open as he prepared to almost land and scoop up the cookie.  I repeated this process until I ran out of cookies.  Only a little piece was left and a Stellar's jay came in and got it.  What fun for me!
Over the promotory there had to be strong thermal winds.  The ravens would hang in the air above the ground for minutes at a time.  They looked like Harriers or Marsh Hawks in this regard.  I had never seen ravens do this behavior.  They also gave great aerial displays, shooting upward and then diving straight down toward the ground.  The pair often flew in tandem- side by side and then one right over the other.  The Blue Angels could get some ideas from this pair.  It was a great sight to see.  I also always appreciate hearing the raven calls as they are sorely lacking at my new house.  It was a great weekend for raven watching and Scottish music.