This morning the raven was agitated. I was having tea in the front room and I saw Bold flying back and forth in front of the big windows. He was trying to get my attention. I had not fed the ravens yet and they were HUNGRY! I went out on the deck and discovered the black cat. This cat lives next door with another black cat that looks just like him. The owners are often away for long periods of time and the cats want some attention and food. I do not want them at my house because they scare the birds and beat up on my old orange cat Andy. So I yelled at the black cat to go home. The cat is still under the porch and will not leave. I do not want to put the eggs out as I do not want to put the ravens in danger. So we will all have to wait for the cat to go home then life can return to normal. Meanwhile it has not bothered Mr. Aggressive Squirrel who is out scouting for black oil sunflower seeds which I put on the ground this morning. The juncos are after the seeds as well. Bold has left but will be back later when I can feed him his egg and Shy too.
Yesterday I watched an old Sherlock Holmes movie which featured a pub called the Rat and the Raven. The pub had a live raven sitting on the bar- he was making racket and people were throwing insults his way- is this any way to treat a raven?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Those Nosey Ravens
Every day the ravens have been arriving at 7:30 AM like clockwork! They get their eggs and whatever else is available in the refrigerator- left over meat, bones, fat of any kind. They love it all! This morning at 7:30 AM I was down in the studio working when they arrived. I heard their calls and clicks and clacks. I did not answer as I was too busy with my art work. When to my surprise- here comes Bold- as bold as you please up to the door of the studio! He found me and he was not happy- where was his food??? He looked in right at me- there is a thinking being behind those eyes- and they were thinking FOOD NOW! So what could I do but get up, go upstairs and appease the beast with slices of left over roast. Life is tough when you have a compliant human at your command!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
I am sitting here at the computer looking down at Bold. He is on the railing of the deck enjoying a can of cat food that Andy will not eat. It is the expensive type with vegetables or some such thing good for diabetic cats. Andy will not eat it but Bold seems very interested. He is picking at it right now. I can see him very well and he is BIG, BOLD and BEAUTIFUL. His feathers are lustrous, shiny with a hint of purple, green and cobalt blue with the black. His feet are very BIG and so is his beak. I have not seen Shy today so I am wondering if she is on the nest now. Shy usually shows up in the morning at 7:30 AM but I have not seen her for two days. I will keep looking for her each morning.
The Stellers Jay and the Quail are here eating bird seed that was scattered on the ground. It is hard to find food in the winter months so we put out seed everyday that it does not rain. The quail are so pretty with their top knot and varied feather colors. The bird world is special to behold. We just got back from Tucson and had fun watching the roadrunners. Each morning when we got up a roadrunner would be running along the top of the concrete block fence. His tail was wagging up and down and he was on a mission. Very amusing and entertaining.
Bold is back and he is doing his showing off routine. He puffs up his wings and moves his head up and down while he makes a particular sound. He looks very large . He likes to sit in the tree outside the window where I am working. There is plenty of food on the rail for him to eat but he is not down there eating. Instead he is right outside the window at my level. I think he likes company. I yell out the window periodically- HEY RAVEN- what's doing. How are you today? You are looking GOOD! And that he is.
The Stellers Jay and the Quail are here eating bird seed that was scattered on the ground. It is hard to find food in the winter months so we put out seed everyday that it does not rain. The quail are so pretty with their top knot and varied feather colors. The bird world is special to behold. We just got back from Tucson and had fun watching the roadrunners. Each morning when we got up a roadrunner would be running along the top of the concrete block fence. His tail was wagging up and down and he was on a mission. Very amusing and entertaining.
Bold is back and he is doing his showing off routine. He puffs up his wings and moves his head up and down while he makes a particular sound. He looks very large . He likes to sit in the tree outside the window where I am working. There is plenty of food on the rail for him to eat but he is not down there eating. Instead he is right outside the window at my level. I think he likes company. I yell out the window periodically- HEY RAVEN- what's doing. How are you today? You are looking GOOD! And that he is.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
There is NOTHING like a RAVEN!
We returned home to the mountains above Napa Valley on February 1. We drove up the driveway and started unpacking to try and beat the coming rain storm and what did I hear? The raven call. Within 20 minutes of our arrival Bold was sitting in the tree scolding us. This was no ordinary squawking- this was- where have you been, where is my egg, how dare you go off and leave me squawking!!! As soon as I could I got 2 eggs and put them out on the trail for easy pickup. Bold and Shy came right away and picked up their eggs and flew off with them.
The next day Bold arrived at 7:30 AM, right on time. The treat of the day was hunks of cheese. I put the cheese on the deck railing. I positioned myself behind the curtain so I could get a really good look at Bold when he came down to get the cheese. I was shocked to see how BIG Bold is compared to the two crows in Shell Beach. I didn't realize the relative size difference between the two corvid species. Bold is really a very beautiful big black bird. So I sing- There is Nothing like a Raven to the tune of There is nothing like a dame! It is good to be back.
The next day Bold arrived at 7:30 AM, right on time. The treat of the day was hunks of cheese. I put the cheese on the deck railing. I positioned myself behind the curtain so I could get a really good look at Bold when he came down to get the cheese. I was shocked to see how BIG Bold is compared to the two crows in Shell Beach. I didn't realize the relative size difference between the two corvid species. Bold is really a very beautiful big black bird. So I sing- There is Nothing like a Raven to the tune of There is nothing like a dame! It is good to be back.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Last Day in Paradise
Today is our last day in Shell Beach and I will have to say goodby to my two crow friends. It has been interesting to watch their antics. They have many characteristics in common with ravens. I had never paid much attention to crows before, so this vacation was a great opportunity to watch them up close. Each morning I put out bread crumbs on one corner of the deck railing for the white crowned sparrows. On the other end I put out meat scraps for the crows. Occasionally a seagull would cruise by to see what was what but I would go outside and scare him off.
The crow pair sit on the telephone wire and wait for me to disappear before they come down to get the treat. One at a time they come down and get their snack of the day. There is not a shy one in this pair. They are both bold as long as they can't see me. Now they are both sitting on the telephone wire when I come upstairs in the morning to get my cup of tea. How soon they learn where the good stuff is!!
I am very anxious to get home and see the raven pair. Will they remember me?
The crow pair sit on the telephone wire and wait for me to disappear before they come down to get the treat. One at a time they come down and get their snack of the day. There is not a shy one in this pair. They are both bold as long as they can't see me. Now they are both sitting on the telephone wire when I come upstairs in the morning to get my cup of tea. How soon they learn where the good stuff is!!
I am very anxious to get home and see the raven pair. Will they remember me?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
RAVEN DEPRIVATION
It has been 19 days since I have seen a raven. I am raven deprived!! I have searched the skies of Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo to no avail. Nary a raven in sight. I miss Bold and Shy and their morning visits at 7:30 AM on the nose. It is my punishment for going off and leaving Bold and Shy that I have not been able to find a raven. It is so strange because I always see ravens wherever I go. HUM- there are brown pelicans, starlings, oyster catchers, blue jays, sea gulls a plenty, surf scooters, buzzards, sparrows, crows, hummingbirds, egrets, they are all here at the interface of the land and the sea- but no ravens. Well I will keep looking and scanning the skies. I did see one thing that was so marvelous. Looking out to sea I saw something sitting on a raft of kelp. With further looking- it was a grey blue heron riding on a raft of kelp quite a ways from shore. That is something I had never seen- quite something- not as good as a RAVEN- but pretty darn good!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Brother Crow in Pismo
Here we are in Pismo Beach looking for ravens. Bold and Shy are almost on their own. They will get some treats while we are gone from the house sitter. Then there are the two compost piles they frequent everyday and of course all the squirrels on the road. I bet they are MAD- no one to feed them at the strike of 7:30 AM! I better watch my back when I get home!!
The first night we were here Chuck noticed a big black bird flying by. We could not see the tail in flight to determine whether it was a crow or a raven UNTIL- CAW CAW!!!! We put out a piece of meat on the railing to see what would happen. The big black bird came down and did the same motions as a raven. He sat on the telephone wire and wiped his beak back and forth on the wire numerous times. Jumped forward and backwards until he got the nerve to fly down to the railing and get the meat. I could not see his beak very well or his neck but thought it was a very large crow.
The next day I put out some meat on the railing in the full sunlight. This way I could see the bird clearly if he came to collect the food. Within 10 minutes- here came two large black birds- one flew down and got a piece of the meat. No tentative sitting on the telephone wire this time. I got a good look at its tail in flight- definitely a very large crow. No wedged shaped tail for this guy and lots of Cawing. The other black bird then came down and got the rest of the food. So it looks like we will have crow friends for the duration of our stay. These crows have a pretty good spot- right by the beach- several large trees to sit in and survey the landscape and lovely weather- what is not to like for human or crow?
The first night we were here Chuck noticed a big black bird flying by. We could not see the tail in flight to determine whether it was a crow or a raven UNTIL- CAW CAW!!!! We put out a piece of meat on the railing to see what would happen. The big black bird came down and did the same motions as a raven. He sat on the telephone wire and wiped his beak back and forth on the wire numerous times. Jumped forward and backwards until he got the nerve to fly down to the railing and get the meat. I could not see his beak very well or his neck but thought it was a very large crow.
The next day I put out some meat on the railing in the full sunlight. This way I could see the bird clearly if he came to collect the food. Within 10 minutes- here came two large black birds- one flew down and got a piece of the meat. No tentative sitting on the telephone wire this time. I got a good look at its tail in flight- definitely a very large crow. No wedged shaped tail for this guy and lots of Cawing. The other black bird then came down and got the rest of the food. So it looks like we will have crow friends for the duration of our stay. These crows have a pretty good spot- right by the beach- several large trees to sit in and survey the landscape and lovely weather- what is not to like for human or crow?
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