A Fine Day for Soaring

Yesterday we went to check on our friend's house.  They are off to Baja California.  The house is located on the East side of the Napa Valley, high up on a ridge.  They have a panoramic view that extends from north of Yountville down to the Carneros by the San Pablo Bay.  It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  After checking the house we went outside to check the view.  Hark!!! I heard a raven call.  We looked up and there was a pair of ravens soaring on the thermal air masses.  They were soaring in circles.  They were close by each other with each bird completing a complete circle and then starting over again.  While they were doing these maneuvers, they never once flapped their wings!  When people ask me how can you tell a crow from a raven- that is one thing I tell them- ravens often glide about, crows do not.  Crows have to flap their wings to get places, while ravens can glide with their large wing span.  The display yesterday was beautiful proof of that fact.  Seeing the ravens soaring about made my day!!!!