Friday, May 31, 2019

Fun with Ravens at Sea Ranch

Sea Ranch is a beautiful seaside development at the northern end of Sonoma County.  We like to rent homes there that overlook the ocean.  Last week we rented a house right on the cliffs overlooking the ocean with glass windows all along the wall of the house that faced the ocean.  What a view.  When we first arrived there was a parade of whales making their way toward Alaska.  One after the other we could see the whale's water/vapor spouts and then their backs as they dove under the waves.  It was really a grand sight.  After getting settled I noticed a nearby tree with ravens!
These were really BIG ravens.  They were flying all around but would return to the top of the tree periodically. I had a good time watching them for the 4 days that we visited with them.  We had purchased some chicken eggs that we were not going to use so...raven food.  I put an egg on top of a small dirt mound just outside the ocean view window.  Before you knew it- here comes raven wheeling in the wind and scooping up the egg.  Wow- such agility in the strong wind.  The weather was unsettled with high wind/rain/sun..didn't bother raven.  We put out the rest of the eggs over a period of time and were rewarded with raven coming and picking each one up and flying off to the nearby tree.  I always get a kick out of seeing raven grab an egg and fly off.  It was a good raven visit.
Back at home I had discontinued putting food out for raven because a pair of vultures figured out raven's schedule of visiting around 9:30 AM for food.  The pair of vultures would sit on my neighbors roof like VULTURES and wait for me to appear with the food.  Raven never got any.  Vultures are so much bigger than raven- out competed.
It has been awhile and the vultures are no longer visiting each morning.  I put an egg out the other morning and raven picked it up-yeah!  I may be back in business with raven.  I hope so but I will watch the skies for the big black vultures.