I heard them the moment I stepped out of the House.
Ravens, reveling in the wind, or each other, or whatever it is that Ravens revel in. I looked up to the peak of the House to see four of them, an unkindness of Ravens, playing.
They jostled for the edge of the roof's peak, and soared in the wind currents
swirling around the corners and angles of our roof.
I ducked inside for the camera, but was off on my exposure, only capturing their silhouettes.
Missing the glossy blackness, the feathers ruffling in the wind, the white underneath their throat.
While two could usually be found at the peak, two soared back and forth and then one or both would change places.
And the soaring and jostling would resume. At times it was hard to know where one started and another ended.
All the while they sang in their delightful "Galoink, galunk" voice. Four distinct voices actually. A darkly feathered barbershop quartet. One voice, louder than the others carried the melody, and the others joined in with a sonorous harmony.
An Unkindness or Ravens? It has never seemed appropriate, they are more vibrant, more joyful. No, it was an Exultation of Ravens.
An Exultation.
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Comments
15 responses
One of the other great things about ravens is that they’re pretty much the same all over the world. Can’t be too many birds that are equally at home in the high Arctic and in the Sahara. Anyway, terrific post on one of my favorite birds – thanks.
Awwwwwwww… You put my pet iceberg in your header! That’s awesome.
One thing I love about raven is that they stay through the winter, and the other thing is how bold they are. One of them stood up to my dog, I don’t know what it was all about but the raven stood his/her ground, spread his wings and flapped them at the dog and screamed and wouldn’t back down. My dog was more than a little freaked out!
It also cracks me up when they walk all over somebody’s shiny expensive testosterone car. I’d do the same if I were a bird. 🙂
The pictures turned out really nice – even that you were off on the exposure. Here’s another one who admires the Ravens for all the same reasons as Mongoose.
I like that you were off with the exposure, it has really dramatic effect. The silhouettes are beautiful, it really accentuates their fingers/feathers(?). I love the bird flying in the last photo, you should crop him out and stick him on a t-shirt or something. 🙂
Not unkind, not at all. Thanks for sharing!
Good Morning,
so nice about the ravens – they are just the same overhere.
Especially now in Fall they make a lot of noise and wander around.
There are many here and they are very clever. Some people train them and they like to learn…
European Greetings
Beatrice
…me again.
See my blog! Some time ago I painted a raven; think it’s still visible in the sidebar.
I often see ravens and croes attack birds of prey here. They are bold indeed!
Beatrice
Clare, one day this summer I rode my bike to one of the nearby lakes to Rankin and there was a similar high wind. Not a raven but a gull, would battle against it and then cruise around and return to the same spot almost directly above where I was seated. Interesting behavior.
Marvelous ravens pictures. They are an Exaltation, no doubt (except when the Persecution of Jays here in Vermont are harassing them, when they are an Annoyed Exhaustion of Ravens, Barking Mad).
Happy to discover your blog via Via Negativa/Dave’s sidebar, definitely coming back!
Absolutely beautiful photos. I wish I could get close enough to the ravens in our woods to get photos like these. Very inspiring.
Bingo! Found the Hoodie Craw story – http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/lilac31.htm Other Corvid-lovers may enjoy this too. Must remember to snap some of my shiny black feathered friends for you – saw one yesterday walking around the car park at work – his feathers were an amazing blue-black sheen. Beautiful! The best birds of all…
Thanks Dave, the same all over the world, but individuals in their own right.
Not sure if you’re still visiting Mongoose but thanks. Its almost time to replace the iceberg header with something else. I’m thinking a Raven.
Thanks allmycke. Have you decided on a new header?
Man, I can’t keep putting off replying to the comments like this, there are too many to do justice to.
Thanks Jen, I like that bird also. It looks… I’m not sure.. mystical?
You’re welcome Liza
Thanks Beatrice, I enjoyed your Raven painting.
I love watching birds play on the wind Bonnie, Ravens are masters of it, but if you ever get to see an Albatross riding the wind it is nothing short of complete mastery, like the wind is a part of them.
Thanks for visiting Theriomorph. If you’re a regular visitor of Via Negativa I’ve got a lot to live up to.
Kat, the ravens here seem to enjoy hanging out at the House. There are times like this that they ignore me and the camera but more times when they couldn’t be bothered and leave me standing, scratching my head, photoless.
Whoops, I hit post too soon.
Fiona-Jane, thanks for the link. A great story, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard a version of it before. It did seem to be missing a couple of key elements though, I kept looking for a couple of questions to be answered.
I must get over there some time and see a Hooded crow for myself.
Hi Clare, I was told a better story than that by a fellow Aberdonian who has recently been to BC. It’s a Haida creation story about Raven finding the first people in a clamshell – delighted to discover that Raven is associated with creative energy! I also found the story & Bill Reid’s amazing Raven sculpture on ‘Nobody Important’s’ Blog, who is in Vancouver – this lead me off on a tour of wikipedia sites on ravens – http://nobodyimportant-jmb.blogspot.com/2008/02/raven-and-first-men.html – the scruffy one was wandering about on the supermarket roof carpark yesterday – I have to get a pic of him, he’s so cute, he has some grey feathers and walks until he absolutely is forced to fly!
Hi Fiona-Jane, I’m quite familiar with the Haida creation legend, and have been lucky enough to see Reid’s sculpture. Canadace Savage book, Bird Brains, is an excellent book on the corvids, with wonderful pictures and many different stories on the family. Worth picking up if you have the opportunity.