In the flowers

In the fading wildflowers back home

Away for a week, I have been watching the skies for ravens. Yesterday, I followed several to the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. I had noticed some ravens there before and also had met with a friendly raven couple at the top of Twin Peaks with the exquisite expanse of San Francisco below.

In Golden Gate Park, massive with its wonderfully thick cypress and great redwood, eucalyptus, and fir trees, I could hear ravens calling. I saw some aerial displays and hawk chasing. Ravens know if they are being watched. I had been searching with my binos what I thought might be a raven nest. But I believe the raven saw me and kept away.

He did come down near a newly planted flower bed. I watched him jump the fence and check out the one dahlia shoot. I had a bit of bread left from my sandwich and so left it for him. As I was about to leave, he walked calmly up to it. (He did no 'jumping jacks', a manner of hopping up and down around an unfamiliar object to see if it moves or is dangerous. Ravens teach this to their young.) The bread was about two feet from me. He took it and casually walked to the nearest puddle where he began soaking it before tearing the softened bread into smaller pieces. He then flew off in a circular route back around to the tall trees behind the Conservatory, I imagine to his nest.

As I left the gardens and its conservatory of foreign flowers and plants, I thought those familiar black wings circling it might be our own exotic option.