A Good Year for Ravens

I have had several reports from friends around the Napa Valley that it has been a good year for raven babies.  Usually my pair on Mt. Veeder had 2 babies per year.  This year I am hearing that raven pairs have raised 4 babies- wow!  A lot of raven racket.  By the end of July the babies will be pests for their parents.  The parents are now teaching the babies to feed on their own BUT that does not mean that the young ones have stopped begging and yelling for food NOW!  The crow babies around my house are doing the same thing.  They still want to be fed.  So much easier than getting it yourself!  I wonder why this is such a good year for ravens.  We had alot of rain this year and the weather has been very cool.  That is the only thing that I can point to but why would that affect ravens?  The mysteries of Nature.

Two days ago I was working in my garden when a raven flew right over my head and croaked.  Alas there was no egg in the feeder because the crows had demolished them for breakfast.  So I ran in the house and replaced the eggs and then stayed inside to see if the raven would visit the feeder.  No raven came, so I went back out to finish my planting.  Then I heard them, two ravens flying overhead.  I hadn't waited long enough- boo hoo.  They flew away.  BUT- the ravens definitely know where the eggs are!