|
0700 hours today, MacDermott Place, Lake Ginninderra, I stood talking to a
friend while casually watching an Australian Raven perched on a limb high in a
tall eucalypt about 40m away. It didn't appear to be taking any notice of us
until Sal took a shiny fob watch from his pocket and let it swing back
and forth on its chain. Suddenly, the raven dived from the limb and descended
towards us at speed. It probably would have passed some 2m above our
heads but we ducked anyway as we heard the strident swish of the bird passing
through the air. It flew up into another tree, hopped around on the limb so it
faced us again, cocked its head from side to side and peered down at
us.
"What's a-biting him?" Sal said. "Dunno," I replied, just as the
raven descended again, but this time it didn't come down like the Hun outta the
sun, rather, it flapped slowly by, head turned towards us, less than three
metres away, looking intently interested. Now, I've watched ravens since
childhood, but to see this totally wild, unrestrained creature cruise past at
such close quarters was a remarkable experience. We heard the rhythmic,
unhurried, wingbeats and could see the small feathers of the mantle
rippling in the air slipping over them. Saw the eye in detail, like a
little roundel centred with a circle of ebony surrounded by a perimeter like
translucent, white glass. Could clearly make out the bunch of bushy throat
hackles and oh, yeah, that bill. When you have that hefty, sharp,
scimitar-like bill pointing squarely at your kisser from just 2.5
metres away, it makes you wanna yell, "Buddy, pal, amigo ... Kemo Sabi. Peace,
Brer Raven!" Anyhow, the raven ascended to its original perch, turned around,
looked down at us and crouched forward as if to launch another eye-to-eye
recconnascence.
"Here comes another incomin' round. What's a-matter with that a-mad
a-b*****d?" my Neapolitan friend cried.
"Put the watch away, Sal," I said. Ole Sal pocketed his flash little
tick-tock lickity-split and Brer Raven promptly lost interest in us, hopped
onto another limb and faced the other way.
Now, I couldn't see a nest in the area, anyhow, I've never been dived
upon by a nesting raven. Probably because they realise I'm an incredibly
nice little guy with the best of intentions, after all they are very intelligent
birds and so, on that basis alone, would feel much affinity for me.
So, are Australian corvids attracted to shiny baubles as I'm led to
believe the northern hemisphere Magpie Pica pica is?
John Layton.
|
