UKH

Yesterday, on a walk round the flatland of Glasson Dock I saw a raven in a tree. It looked like a raven and made raven noises, particularly that lovely melodious 'gralonk' that they do. I can't ever recall seeing one away from the uplands (Tower of London apart). Was he/she on an away day from the Lakes  (not that far away, you can see the fells from Glasson easily on a clear day)?

Raven was quite widespread throughout Britain during the 19th century, before disappearing mostly from lowland areas due to severe persecution. It has since recolonised some of its former range (including lowland Lancashire) due to relaxed persecution and aided by land use change.

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One of my favourite things about climbing in Fairy Cave Quarry is seeing / hearing the Ravens.

Interesting map - thanks. Looking at the largest orange dots (confirmed breeding site) they do mostly sit on upland areas so, unsurprisingly, not many in East Anglia. I might be over interpreting the map but Blackpool seems to have breeding ravens - on the Tower?

They do wander far away from the hills and moors.  

If it looked like a raven and sounded like a raven it probably was one.  But they are normally quite wary birds and keep away from human habitation normally.

See them regular. Nest on the town hall. My brother reckons that in places like the Lakes, peregrines are taking over their nest sites. Cracking birds tho. 

In Cheshire we have a problem with Ravens and Peregrines nesting at the same site (Beeston castle).

The Ravens nest early (Feb. on). Peregrines nest April on leaving eggs exposed as Ravens have fledged and are hungry! Nature I guess. 

Hi Carl,

I think I’ve mentioned on here before that we get them in our back garden. They have been nesting for a year or two in the field (oak tree) behind our house. I have a nice picture or two of them feeding and strutting around our lawn. I was a bit surprised at first. Can’t recall if I’ve seen them this summer - time seems to have gone a bit haywire this year so can’t remember what happened when. 
There may be one of the pictures in my gallery. 

They have apparently nested in the same year on opposite sides of the highest bit of Bolton Town Hall - regardless of their different nesting times, there must have been some overlap.

I'm sure I heard one up at Jack Scout a few weeks back which I guess is only up the road from Glasson as the raven flys.

Yes, I've heard them around the AONB fairly often. There are some old quarries where they can nest.

Hi Rog. Yes, you're only a short flight from Arnside and the Lakes so not too surprising. Hopefully, will soon get ospreys diving in the Lune estuary when it gets too crowded on the Kent?

Regards Karl

They’re now quite a common sight in pats of Kent too!

Kent's almost certainly going to be on the most popular Osprey migration path since it's got the shortest cross-channel crossings, and Ospreys being of keener eyesight than ourselves (and able to look from a higher elevation) will have no problems spotting the other side of the channel.

However, I'd be impressed if there's any breeding going on there.

Ravens look pretty much like Carrion Crows. I doubt whether I can say for sure which is which.

Is a raven not something like half as big again? 

jcm

Well they are bigger, but some Carrion Crows can be pretty big too. I think I saw a raven in Hertfordshire a few weeks ago, and I only thought it might be one because it was so large.

Ravens have glow sticks. 

Easiest way is if they make a noise, once you're familiar with it (which I presume you are) then it's easy to distinguish from a crow's caw.

But I once came across a family of ravens in the lake District, the young one's voices hadn't broken yet, it was hilarious. Adults were gronking as usual but the young ones version was high pitched and squeaky.

When silent it can be more difficult depending on your view, ravens have a wedge/diamond shaped tail which is sometimes more apparent when in flight. Heavier beak, but on the ground, at a distance, outside "normal" areas for ravens, it can be difficult to tell.

Often you can identify by relative size with other nearby birds; easiest with jackdaws, crows (obviously) and buzzards (nearly as big whereas crows are obviously smaller).

Here they are on my lawn.

Some bird expert will correct me if I'm wrong, but when you see them close up like this you can see the hooked upper mandible (if that's the right word) and the prominent beard which I think distinguish them from other corvids. Also the trousers? I get the impression that their plumage is much blacker and glossier than their cousins. And do they strut!

The one I saw the other day was even more raven-like than those? A pretty hefty beak. Couldn't get a clear view of the trousers as it was up in a tree and my photos don't show any. I think rooks wear trousers too but they also have that bare area around the face (which my bird didn't have). I think the 'gralonk' was the clincher - not heard that from other corvids.

Beautiful plumage 😁

Corvids have been spreading everywhere this year. It's a pandemic.

You’re lucky. Ravens are well cool. They have an attitude and aura about them. 

I know. I know. I know! I just love the strut in the second picture.

They’re wonderful aren’t they? Look like they’ve been painted with Valspar.

In my experience if you are in any doubt it is probably a crow, Ravens are bigger and you tend to know for sure  when you do see one.

They are pretty common across many rural areas these days.

They are very smart birds and a real menace at lambing time as they will follow you around because they appear to know that you willl highlight the location of the easy pickings.  If you leave a hypothermic lamb on the ground out of your sight for a few minutes whilst checking on another ewe they can have it's kidneys out whilst it is still alive

That's what I think, and that is why with this one sighting (actually of a pair of birds) I thought they must be ravens - because they were just SO big! I see crows all the time, so these two birds really stood out as (very) unusual.

Fantastic birds 

Jim Perrin wrote beautifully about an encounter with one in his book ‘Travels with the Flea’

Some great photos in the gallery