Surprise visitors!

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Ravens, the largest member of the crow family, normally frequent farmland, especially uplands and mountainous areas, or sometimes seaside cliffs (and of course the Tower of London, but that’s another story). According to the British Trust for Ornithology, the raven is “a majestic species of rugged uplands” while the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) says “you’d be very lucky to see one in your garden”. Well for the last two or three days at least one has been appearing here, and today I saw four, presumably a family, perching in the tall pine trees along our boundary and flying around together. In line with the general information, I have rarely seen a raven before and only in the hills, where their distinctive guttural, croaking, honking cry echoes across the uplands. It was the unmistakable croaking that alerted me to their presence, although at first I thought I must be imagining it. I wonder what has brought them to suburbia? They normally set themselves up in a home territory and stay there year round. You can read more about them here All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2025.