2 dozen black ravens

A few years ago one summer, a flock of nearly 30 ravens landed in the trees of my front and back yard at my house where I once lived. The sun was setting and I watched in wonder as all these large black raptors gathered together in one massive flock on every tree branch that availed itself as a perch. I was in awe. In all the years I had lived there, I had never seen anything like this.

My house was in a semi-rural neighborhood where interactions with the local wildlife were quite common. Deer, jack rabbits, foxes, raccoons, snakes, hawks, vultures, and more were no strangers to my neighborhood. But 30 or more ravens gathered together was certainly new to me. This house was on a hill that overlooked a sevanah of oak trees and shrubs that were gradually being overtaken by suburban sprawl. It was my favorite hiking area.

The next day I was in my backyard looking across the valley. A plume of smoke was billowing up. A fire broke out and it was quickly destroying everything in its path. The wind blew the opposite direction of my house, fortunately. But other homes were not so lucky. The fire was started by an arsonist. I watched as airplanes spread retardant and water to fight the fires. My hiking area was destroyed.

Later on I remembered the ravens that perched in my yard the previous evening. Were they a sign of an evil omen?

 

Maybe just a 'murder' looking for a new home.

Ravens have been ravaged by disease recently and it's disrupted their patterns. West Nile virus among them, it's even effected their social behavior. Recently it's been observed, surrogate mates stepping in if one dies when there are chicks, a behavior never seen before.

BTW Ravens are not raptors they are 'corvids' And they are thought to be the one of the smartest birds. Some believe they could be among the smartest in the entire animal kingdom! :2thumbsup:

Found this fairly recent story out of Canada

http://www.sott.net/article/264071-Paralysis-killing-ravens-and-crows-in-B-C-Canada

 

We have crows where I live. I think I read that crows make about 50 different vocalizations.

I had a murder of crows land in my driveway once. There were 13, I think.

 

You would be more likely to see a murder of crows than ravens, if they were ravens then there was definitely something about to happen. (Not doubting, ravens just tend to be seen in solitary family groups more, 3-5 birds. Crows like to mob together and go pillaging every once and awhile.)


And, yeah... smartest birds on the planet and smarter than most mammals.

 

Animals are connected to the land and can feel when natural or manmade disasters are coming. Primitive cultures that still know how to listen to the land are the same way. It's a very mundane and basic form of magic but magic nonetheless.

 

I've seen murders of crows in small numbers here and there. But most often it was because people were feeding them seeds. I've never seen them gather in large numbers. 13 is still a large amount. Did anything eerie come of it?

 

Crows are not normally "seed eating" birds...

 

i've seen crows gather in the 100s. they roost in the cemetery nearby, and almost every night (i think it depends on the season) you can see them all flying towards it, in massive numbers

 

Why define that as magic?

 

you should start feeding them. you can teach them all kind a stuff if you know how. Like I heard a story about somebody training them to steal money... and they went so far they attacked people on the street for it.
guy was arrested ..

 

I LOVE crows and ravens! They play and know how to have fun and are smart. Saw a big fat one sitting on a fence yesterday, and thought, my goodness, that one is eating well, and I never saw one quite that big before....and he flew up into a tree nearby where many were perched....all looking quite content and plump. Love them!

 

I did this painting .... self portrait with a raven, and called this Broken Wing....

My cat, Spanky, there who I still have....but always felt a kinship of sorts with crows and ravens, somehow.
...and cats....and deer....etc.