The Ravens

In previous hikes into the Three Finger canyons at the base of the Anti-Cline the two ravens who live there have increasingly taken personally Tom's intrusion into what they consider their territory. Ravens are incredibly smart birds. They open coolers, track visitors for their trash, aerially determine where a squirrel has buried food and dig it up. Only once has Tom loaded trash bags into the back of the truck the night prior to a trip to town only to waken with the bed of the truck filled with ravens and unsecured trash everywhere. Ravens are the only bird Tom's witnessed who will watch to see where you're looking and then go investigate why you're looking there. They are also incredibly cruel to their enemies and competitors for food. Last year visitors witnessed them tearing up hatchlings of other aerial critters and strutting back and forth boasting as they dragged them out of the nest and killed them while helpless parents buzzed them trying unsuccessfully to defend their young. Today Tom saw the ravens returning as he and Norma entered the canyons and by the way they acted knew they weren't happy with Tom's visit. In the past they have dropped small rocks at Tom to discourage his entrance but today they got serious. They would move slightly ahead of Tom's path on loose rocks and push them into the canyon to include one large rock that would have done serious damage if it had landed on target.