WOW!!! A BIG BLACK BIRD!!!

Yesterday in the late afternoon I was sitting by the window minding my own business and knitting.  It had been raining hard all day and was overcast.  There was a break in the rain and then it happened- a BIG BLACK BIRD landed in the platform feeder!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  I have had that feeder out there for months, always with an egg and black oil sunflower seeds in the tray.  This is the first time I have attracted a big black bird.  I was so excited!  After the bird flew away I went out to look- the egg was gone!  Oh happy day!  I have to say I am not sure if it was a raven.  I have some hope that it was a raven as I have noticed a pair of ravens flying over the house almost every day.  We must be on their flight pattern to various food sources.  I did not hear any vocalizations from the big black bird in the feeder tray and I could not get a good look at his beak.  I could not tell for sure if it was a raven or his cousin crow.  So I did what any sane? person would do, I ran outside and put another egg in the tray.  I sat down inside and waited.  By this time dusk was falling and the overcast sky made it very dark.  Hark- here came two big black birds who landed in the tray.  They pecked and ate the egg.  It was so dark I could not make out any features, so I am not sure if it was raven. 
I have been feeding a pair of crows with peanuts every morning.  They really like them  The blue jays always try to get the nuts before the crows can decide to come down and get one.  It is so entertaining to watch.  Those two crows know me now.  They must keep watch on the house as one or both show up when I go out to weed or take the garbage out.  It is fun to have bird friends. 
The gold finches are getting their breeding plumage.  I keep their thistle sock full and it is frequently covered with golden finches.  I wish the thistle seed wasn't so dear.  It is costing me a fortune!
So goes life on the valley floor.  It is has been too cold and rainy to walk over to the close by Alston Park.   Alston Park is a big open area with a creek, walking paths, oak trees, hills and a dog park.  The park is adjacent to vineyards.  There are ravens over there which I enjoy seeing and hearing.  This maybe the home territory for the ravens that fly over my house.  Once the weather improves I will once again take my daily walk to the park.
This evening we are going up to Mt. Veeder to visit our former next door neighbors.  I am taking a care package for my raven pair- Bold and Shy.  If it is still light I may get to see them.  I stand in the street and yell RAVENS and if they are in hearing distance, they still show up.  I miss them very much.

New Crow Friends

My new crow friends, a nice black pair, come every morning and sit on the telephone wire.  The wire is just about even with the railing of the second floor of this home.  They have become very brave.  I put the food bits on the railing and then they hop right over to check out the days offerings.  I wonder why these crows are so friendly and fearless.  The crows around my home in Napa are very fearful.  It takes alot of checking out and peering and poking around before a Napa crow will come down and get a peanut from my driveway.  Something  in Napa must have scared them.  I saw a program on crows recently that showed that crows recognize faces.  In fact the next generation will recognize a mean face if it was recognized by the parents.  That is really fascinating.  Do humans do that??? 
We are here in Shell Beach for a few more days.  So I will enjoy the friendly crows and clean out the refrigerator at the same time.  They have liked left over chicken, pretzels, pecans and croutons.  Perhaps in time the Napa crows will get to know me and not be afraid.  I am also hoping that the Napa raven remembers me.  The raven came to my redwood tree twice before I left for Shell Beach.  Wouldn't you know that the raven would show up just as I was leaving for vacation????  I will get right back on the egg in the platform feeder patrol as soon as I return to Napa.  It has been a lovely sojourn here on the Central Coast of California.  A little of everything, sunny days, rainy days, very high surf, shopping, dining by the ocean and visits from friends.  All in all, everything a vacation should be.

Wild Weather and Ruffled Crows

The weather has turned wild at Shell Beach, snow is expected in the surrounding high areas and the crows are ruffled.  I have been feeding a pair of crows each day about 10:00 AM each day.  They were right on time this morning.  It is funny how they can tell time- do they have a pocket watch?? I looked out and they were hanging on the telephone wires and their feathers were blowing every which way.  It is really blowing hard out there.  I have to be careful when I feed the crows as there are many ravenous seagulls about.  They will fly down and steal the food away from the crows just like that.  This morning the gulls were not around so I put two pieces of meat out for the crows.  The brave one came right down to the railing and got a piece.  Then the shy one came down and got the other piece of meat.   Right after that the seagulls showed up so I could not feed the crows anymore food.  However- I do believe they will be back tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM unless it is raining very hard.

Birds in Shell Beach

Since the weather in Napa was dreary and too much like winter, we decided to rent Casa Serena in Shell Beach, CA once again for a month.  The only downside to this trip was the fact that Raven had started to come around for peanuts and a look at us at our Napa home.  But Raven never forgets a favorite food so I believe he will be back when we return home and the peanuts appear once again!
Shell Beach is a lovely little village on the Central Coast of California near Pismo Beach- a varied mix of beach bungalows and mansions.  There is a very Tudor style mansion near our abode that hangs over the sea and the daffodils are blooming all around the house.  It looks likea  manor house in England.   No one is ever home.  It is lovely to have such a place but a shame not to have time to visit it.  Ah well- I peer in the gates every evening as we walk the 2 blocks to watch the sunsets with the neighbors and their dogs.  The house has several follies in the yard- a windmill, a tower for Rapunzle, and an oriental tea house- quite the place. 

Every evening I go down to where the rocks are exposed at the edge of the Pacific ocean.  I am looking for black oyster catchers.  I think these are the cutest birds with their bright red bills.  They hunt and peck on the rocks looking for sea worms and other tasty things to eat.  They are usually found in pairs and make alot of noise if disturbed.  They walk around the seagulls that are sitting on the rocks as they peck along.  They are black like ravens so maybe that is why I like them.
Most evenings we have a pair of peregrine falcons that come and perch on two century plants that are across the street from Casa Serena.  There are many song birds around here so I think the falcons come to look for a before bed snack.  I have never seen peregrine falcons up close, so this is special.  I have my spotting scope trained on them in the evenings.
Another bird is found here that I have  not seen before- a ring neck white dove.  I looked in my bird book and it says located around Los Angeles.  We are a couple hundred miles north from there, so maybe their range is expanding.
We have been putting nuts, cheerios, and bread crumbs out on the deck railing that is in the front of the house and faces the ocean.  Yesterday a very curious crow came and sat on the telephone wire that is close to the deck railing.  He scooted along the wire so that he could get a good look at Chuck and at the food. Chuck talked to him and crow was taking it all in.  Another crow came to join the first one.  The second one was brave and went over to the rail and got some food.  The first one was very shy and the second very bold- seems that is the way with birds and humans.
Last night it was somewhat stormy and a pair of black crowned night herons came and sat in a tree across from our balcony.  They were quite beautiful and I love the little white feather that extends from their head down their back.  I think they were there for protection from the wind.
Today is a lovely day so out we go to walk the dunes. I am sure I will see some sea birds that are new to me.  Life is wonderful with so many of nature's wonders to observe.

A Raven in the Redwood Tree

This morning Chuck saw a raven sitting in the top of the redwood tree in the front yard. This is FIRST time we have seen a raven come down near our house!  Yippee!  There is hope.  I had put out some peanuts this morning for the blue jays.  Perhaps the raven saw the nuts in the driveway.  I immediately ran out and put a fresh egg in the platform feeder and some more peanuts too.  On Friday I am going up to Mt. Veeder to visit the ravens up there.  I have been storing up chicken parts in the freezer, so I have treats to take with me.  I will throw in some peanuts as well.  Ravens really like peanuts.  It is so funny to watch the jays inspect the peanuts.  They do just what the ravens do.  They pick up each one and shake it, then they pick the one that they like best.  Can't be too picky when it comes to peanuts.

Ravens in the Neighborhood

The weather has been so nice lately, so I have been outside poking around the yard.  Someone ate the egg in the platform feeder!  There were traces of shell left and that is all.  Yesterday I heard a pair of ravens while I was in the yard.  They were talking back and forth, doing their raven thing.  I can hear a raven call immediately if there is one, and it is music to my ears.  I could determine the direction of the sound but it was across the creek and I have no access to the creek.  This is so different than on Mt. Veeder where I could walk acres without any fences or barriers.  Here it is all fences and no access. Denied only for people, not the birds-fortunately for them.  Hearing the ravens gave me a happy feeling because I know there is a raven pair in the neighborhood.  I put out a cooked chicken carcass on the driveway thinking this might lure a raven in, but no luck.  No animal or bird bothered it so that indicates that there are no raccoons around here.  That is surprising because the creek runs through the yard next door.  Everyone that visited our house had to comment on the carcass in the driveway, so I finally gave up and removed it.  I have not given up the raven search however.  Every few days I hear the ravens.  They are here somewhere.  I do have a bird following in my little space in Napa Valley.   Every time I go out into the yard, the blue jays show up.  I look like a big peanut to them.  I oblige them by putting out the nuts.  The crows show up every morning about 8:30 AM looking for said nuts.  If I am not too lazy, I get up and put some out for the crows.  So life in the burbs is OK and there are many birds around.  We have a little tit mouse who comes for black oil sunflower seeds.  What a cute little fellow.  We have many American Goldfinches at the niger seed feeder.  So all is well in the flatlands of Napa Valley.

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.