Better together

Watching  a raven pair work together is admirable, instructive and inspiring. Raven survival and success are due primarily, I believe, to this trait. One is always there to back up the other; one guards while the other eats. Together they chase threatening prey from their territory. Four eyes are better than two. Their vision to me seems extraordinary. They seem to sense the approach of a hawk. But it is their coordinated efforts that are a beauty to watch. One day I was sitting at the beach with the Grogs and the inevitable seagulls. The ever-hungry Sunshine was behind me, Grog and a seagull in front. I put a small piece of bread on a nearby rock. As Sunshine and the seagull started to go for it, Grog, with his beak held the seagull by its wing so Sunshine might have the bread. Chivalrous, I thought.

Recently, a fisherman friend watched the ravens bring down a pigeon. Working as a team, one raven flew into a group of pigeons, disturbing them while the other raven followed, helping separate and isolate one pigeon. Then the ravens, having cornered it in the air, forced it to the sand where, once destabilized, they grabbed it and ate it.

An interesting counterpoint happened several weeks ago as I sat on a rock at the beach. All of a sudden there were feathers flying above and behind me. It looked to be two pigeons who came down on the other side of the bush to me. Above us all, the two ravens watched. After nothing emerged from the bush, I went to check. Partially hidden in the sand and the leaves were two big eyes staring at me with feathers in its mouth. I stared back. After perhaps a minute, straight up in the air and escaping with his life, a pigeon flew out followed by a Northern Harrier, a smallish hawk. Immediately, the two ravens set off in pursuit of the harrier. I had thought they might go for the pigeon. After they had chased the harrier out of sight, the ravens returned to the cliff. He made a low Tarzan-like sound and jumped on his mate in celebration!