Big loud crow..........

[Larwyn]

I actually had the TD in the front drive today doing a little work on it. Just replacing the trailer light wiring that the dog ate last year when he was in that "Taz stage". I heard some crows off in the distance and realized I have not actually seen any crows since moving to Kerrivlle. So when the noise got louder I rolled the creeper out from under the TD to take a look. The noise was coming from a pecan tree across the street, I could tell both by the sound and the swaying limbs on the tree but I could not see them. Then what looked like two buzzards came flying out of that tree but they were still making sounds just like a supercharged crow and flying more like a hawk. They were obviously not buzzards and after they landed in the tree right over my head they looked just like giant crows. I got a good long look at them but no pictures, had I gone for a camera they would have been gone when I got back anyway.

After a short google search I have decided that what I saw was actually a pair of ravens. I've never seen one before and though I am not a birdwatcher I was fascinated by the sighting.

It kind of reminds me of the giant woodpeckers we had in East Texas. I was told they were called "Good God Birds" because the first time everybody saw one they would say " Good God what a bird!!!".

[Beachbuggy]

I have a large family of crows living in the trees behind my house, They also frequent my back deck, much to my cats delight.
I have never seen crows living around here before.

The good thing about them is since they moved in I haven't seen any grackles.

[Larwyn]

I'd like to see the Grackles gone, but am not sure those ravens would be a good trade. They are really noisy, are bound to eat a lot and we all know what that leads to......

[nevadatear]

We are birders and have lots of Ravens around here in Nevada. The question around here is "how do you tell the difference between a crow and a raven?" a raven is a crow, but more so! as in more bill, larger, larger and more raucous voice... Most people confuse ravens with hawks as they are the same size. Sorry about the grackles, they are a pain!

[S. Heisley]

On a tour-hike once, a ranger explained that the easiest way to tell the difference between ravens and crows is to watch them fly. Crows only flap their wings. Ravens soar as well as flap their wings when they fly.

[Larwyn]

On a tour-hike once, a ranger explained that the easiest way to tell the difference between ravens and crows is to watch them fly. Crows only flap their wings. Ravens soar as well as flap their wings when they fly.

For me the easy way to tell was that the raven was about 4 times as big as any crow that I've ever seen.......

And the way they fly does remind me of a hawk.

[S. Heisley]

Hawks can soar so, you're right: Raven.

Funny California history story: There is a very nice, expensive/exclusive(?...You get the picture.) town in the Bay area, called Blackhawk. As the story goes, a couple ranchers saw some big black birds soaring in the sky. One of the farmers said, "Look at that big, black hawk!" The other one said, "Yes, I see it! What a marvel! I think that would be a good name for this area, Blackhawk!" And so, that's what they named the town. The funny thing about all this is that the big black birds were Turkey Buzzards!

[teardrop_focus]

nevadatear

We are birders and have lots of Ravens around here in Nevada. The question around here is "how do you tell the difference between a crow and a raven?" a raven is a crow, but more so! as in more bill, larger, larger and more raucous voice...

Having grown up in southern California's San Fernando Valley, then on the coast near Santa Monica, I've seen and heard crows all my life...

Lately, however, there seems to be much more noise from those birds... is it seasonal? I should know by now. Or are ravens taking over?

[FireLion]

nevadatear

We are birders and have lots of Ravens around here in Nevada. The question around here is "how do you tell the difference between a crow and a raven?" a raven is a crow, but more so! as in more bill, larger, larger and more raucous voice...

Having grown up in southern California's San Fernando Valley, then on the coast near Santa Monica, I've seen and heard crows all my life...

Lately, however, there seems to be much more noise from those birds... is it seasonal? I should know by now. Or are ravens taking over?

Quoth the raven 'nevermore'!

[nevadatear]

Could be both or more. West Nile took a big hunk out of the crows, ravens, jay, magpie (same family) population several years ago, and they are now seeing a ressurgance, so you may just be noticing them again as they come back, and it is spring, summer and they are noisy in their garnering of female affections and territory disputes.

[teardrop_focus]

Ahh.

Quite logical, Captain.

-Spock



P.S. Thanks!

[Aaron Coffee]

When i was around 5, we moved from southeast South Dakota to Thermopolis, Wyoming. My mom commented on those pretty black birds, and people laughed at her, they where magpies(I think) and are considered a pest.