Friday, January 12, 2018

Thursday Morning: In Search of the Ravens

I've decided I don't really want to get into it with the ravens though I know eventually we will. I'll try and make it friendly but they are problem children and it's unlikely. However after my experiences with the hawks a few years ago I do know the only thing that will make them set up and take notice that they have an admirable foe is to visit them at their homes. So after a couple days of rain and not being able to shake my cold, it's a nice day, and I feel a little better so in anticipation of the eventual confrontation with the ravens I'm going to start mapping out all the places in the cliffs that they call home. That's what Jax and I are searching for on this day. First we find a rabbit leg. Then a couple locations, one potential next, one look out rock, with raven scat on them. The next month or 45 days is the most dangerous time to be exploring the cliffs from the bottom up. Rocks that have been thinking about falling for many years and ledges on the edge of breaking and falling get one final encouragement from Mother Earth. It rains or snows, the water gets down in the cracks, and freezes. When water freezes it expands around 10%, that last little nudge that the pondering falling rocks and ledges have been missing. Now, when it warms up a little and the ice melts, there's nothing to keep them from crashing down on whatever might be below them.









No comments: