Ice on the pond this morning and flakes of snow on the wind. On the trip to fill the birdfeeders I decided it was a mistake not to put on a coat - or gloves.
High up, heading west, a couple of ravens. As they flew one peeled off to one side and then looped over its partner before returning to their businesslike, as-the-crow-flies course.
On completion of the manoeuvre one of the two "said" something to the other. To my non-raven way of thinking it could have been a "look at me", or perhaps it was "can you stop showing off..."
And how to describe the call? Not the usual raven croak, but something a step or two up the scale and somehow frog-like and rubbery.
I came back in and looked at the bird list on this blog, which is now quite close to having run its year-long span. I've seen ravens from the garden before, but have never remembered to put them on my list.
I wonder what else I've left out? Anyway, should I add these ravens? Can anybody help with a definitive garden bird list rule?
Should a bird that over-flies your garden be on its bird list? What about birds seen in the distance that don't fly over - or even a remarkable over-the-garden wall twitch?
I'm not sure what is the true guide is to recording birds in a garden, I do know that the RSPB garden bird watch doesn't want birds that fly over to be counted (they have to land). The problem is when a very interesting bird does fly over; it's a shame not to record it.
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