Common Raven

Another Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is upon us. Led by the Bow Valley Naturalists, the CBC in the Bow Valley will take place on Saturday, December 14, 2024. I usually write about the CBC a week before it happens in the Bow Valley, but I think I mixed up my chocolate intake, and here we are. The Bow Valley Naturalists have been involved with the count since 1975, so tomorrow will be the 49th count. Much has changed in recent years, let alone when looking back to 1975. The CBC counts that occur across Canada have become even more important for observing what is going on with our feathered friends.

There’s an important Citizen Science component to the CBC, but it’s also a great way to be social and active as we listen and look to find what species of birds are around us. And there are always some surprises, even if we don’t come across a Common Raven with leucism. This raven was spotted about 56 km from where we will be counting.

Animals with albinism lack melanin, the natural pigment in skin, feathers, hair, and eyes. They tend to appear pale pink or red in color. Leucism, on the other hand, is a defect in pigment cells, which causes animals to have pale or muted colors, or, as in this raven's case, patches of white. If the raven was all white, one way to tell whether the bird has albinism or leucism is by looking at the eyes. With leucism, the raven would have dark-colored eyes, rather than red or pink. Leucism, like albinism, is inherited. The muted colors and patches on an animal’s skin or feathers can vary depending on the genetics of its parents.

So, whether you’re a beginner, an advanced birder, or somewhere in between, dress for the weather and bring a few snacks—chocolate is always a good choice. Enjoy another Christmas Bird Count. And even if you’re not participating in this event, which started in 1900, the next time you see a bird, give it a look for a few extra seconds or a minute and appreciate how amazing birds are.

Northern Harrier and Common Raven

I wanted to talk about the birds, but I think you might be more interested in what is going on in the image and how I got this picture. Perhaps another time I can discuss the Northern Harrier, which has a face that is owl-like, allowing it to hear voles and mice underneath the vegetation. I would also have talked about how this long-tailed hawk glides over the marsh or grassland while hunting for its prey. How they primarily hunt small mammals and birds, but they are also capable of taking larger prey like rabbits and ducks. I guess I will talk about this beautiful bird another day.

I also wanted to discuss the Common Raven. While the harrier is found across North America, ravens are found throughout North America and around the world in the Northern Hemisphere. They have followed people for centuries, for a chance at a quick meal. I would have liked to talk about how they are one of the most intelligent birds. Young ravens enjoy playing, often dropping sticks and diving to catch them. And how they work together to distract adult incubating birds at seabird colonies while another raven grabs an egg or a chick. They have also learned that the sound of a gunshot may mean a carcass nearby, providing an opportunity for food. They are excellent flyers; one bird was even seen flying upside down for nearly a kilometer.

But for now let’s talk about how this picture came about. If you haven’t guessed by looking at the image, there is only one raven and one harrier represented. I was taking pictures of the harrier when the raven flew into the frame. Ravens never miss a chance to mob eagles, owls, and hawks. While I was photographing the harrier, this raven was perched on a nearby tree, calling out. Then it flew in from the back right, going over the hawk and out the front left. By using continuous shooting mode, I was able to capture several images of the raven’s flyby. To avoid overlapping of the raven, I chose five images of it and one of the harrier, then layered them together using an application. With the background having the same exposure, I digitally created one image from six.

Common Raven

The summer is not yet over, already it’s one for the history books. Thanks to the record temperatures, wildfire smoke and one of the best summers for mosquitoes in a while. I have been coming to work very early, hoping to catch the mosquitoes resting as I walk to work. The plan has not fully worked, still having to deal with the few blood thirsty females. While the male mosquitoes go after flower nectar, sap, honeydew and anything else with sugar, the females to quench their thirst and to get the protein they need to produce their eggs, need our blood.  Some of the things mosquitoes have a greater attraction to are people with O type blood, beer consumers, those wearing dark-colored clothes and I think my chocolate rich blood.

 Being out early, I have been watching some pretty surreal sunrises with the wildfire smoke. A few weeks back, the Sun was rising when I saw a Common Raven on the very top of one of the belvederes of the bathing pavilion at the Cave and Basin NHS.  I crossed my fingers the raven would stay in place, as I quickly moved into place to have the raven between me and the Sun. I got the picture just as the raven was calling out. Probably calling out to tell me to get the picture before it was too late as the mosquitoes were making a beeline toward me.

Red-winged Blackbird and Common Raven

 Red-winged Blackbird working hard to get the Common Raven to move on.

Common Raven

A bird that I see more than any other, is the Common Raven. A very confident bird, always up to something, easily moves around on the ground and even more so in the air. They are exciting to watch, even more when they are interacting with other birds or mammals. They will hide food for another occasion, call out for a predator to alert them of a prey or carcass. If the predator is successful breaking the skin of a carcass or hunting down a prey, then the raven also gets to eat. There are many times during the cold days of winter, when all I see and or hear is a raven or two. The temperature in the morning was around minus 30 degrees, one raven was on a snow pile and another perched on a tree. Light snow was falling while the raven looked for food. I moved a little bit to the right and then to the left to get the background I wanted. Anytime it would put its head up, I would take the pictures. Once done, I was off to get warm and the raven kept searching.

Common Raven

Looking at this raven's tail feather, it had better days.

Bald Eagle and the Common Raven

Bald Eagle larger than most birds, with a wingspan of 2 meters, scavenges meals by harassing other birds and never says no to carrion or garbage. Most of the time they eat fish, but will hunt mammals and waterfowl. They are often spotted soaring high in the sky. The Common Raven is dwarfed by the much larger eagle, wingspan around 116 cm. One of the smartest birds, capable of learning and being a better talker than some parrots when raised by humans. Works with land predators, letting them know when a prey is near or seeking their help opening the tough hide of a carcass to access meat. Never a good idea leaving your bag of garbage outside, if you do where ravens reside, all will know the contents of your garbage. In the image it seems both are flying together, in reality the raven was protecting its territory by harassing the eagle away.

Common Raven

It's December and the Christmas Bird Counts are around the corner. The one in Bow Valley will be taking place on Saturday Dec. 16. Pop over to the site "bowvalleynaturalist.org" if you like to play a role with the count. If you live elsewhere, check the web for the organization playing a role near your home. It's a fun way to spend time enjoying nature with others while counting the various species of birds coming across our way. When all the counts are gathered, analysed and compared to previous years, we get an idea how our feathered friends are making out.