Little beaks

We are so curious about the number of chicks in the nest! Last year, four chicks hatched, but only three made it to grown up juveniles. The nest is shaped like a funnel, but it is already possible to see beaks while they are fed - with binoculars and from a distance. So I offer Siden different food, and then I run through the aviary complex and through the horses' enclosure to stand prepared when Juno lifts herself from her young. How many beaks did I see? At least four...! I think.

//Helena

On TV 4 News

Some weeks ago, TV 4 news also reported on the raven research. See it HERE.

Baby food

The raven parents seem to prefer protein for their newborns. Usually ravens would go for the fatty parts of any meat, but now Siden chooses the fleshy bits for his young.
As we don't know exactly how a perfect diet would look like, we try to provide the raven parents with as various food as possible to choose from. So far, the young might have tasted beef, chicken, turkey, salmon, egg, cheese, rice and bread. We also try to sneak in vitamins and calcium by offering it in a mixture of meat already chopped up in baby portions.

But Siden is very picky, and tastes everything himself before he brings it to the nest.

He is also very thorough when he caches the food. It has to be protected from swarms of hungry tree sparrows during the day, and rats during the night. The salmon was hid in a corner with a massive piece if wood dragged over, and placed on top of it.

I knew I jeopardized the hideout when I went over to take a photo - crow birds are very sensitive to others paying attention to their caches - and as soon as Siden saw me closing in on the cached salmon, he rushed over to find a better spot.

The better spot turned out to be under a pair of woollen gloves that Siden stole from Can sometime during winter, and I had to make sure to take the photo by stealth this time.

The capable father.

//Helena

Tiny pieces of meat

If my calculations were correct, today would be the first possibe day of egg-hatching, so I served the ravens breakfast with some expecations. To my disappointment, this morning was no different from other mornings, though. Siden came down, ate some and then started to cache the food.

When I checked in on them before nightfall, two wild ravens lifted from the ground next to the aviaries, and all our ravens were on their toes. Even Juno was out from the nest, so I assumed she helped chasing the indruders away. As it was many days since she was down, I ran to fetch her an evening snack, but when I came back she was already back on the nest. Siden, happily grabbed some meat, and to my delight he immediately started to tear away, tiny, tiny pieces of meat. That could only mean one thing! There must be a chick in the nest! I waited impatiently for him to finish, and then he flew to the nest, made the subtle feeding grunts I recognised from last year which made Juno move a bit, so he could feed the little one - I even heard the faint chirps!

//Helena

More media

Last week TT was here to make a news report which later was picked up by Skånska dagbladet and Metro.

Egg-laying?

Today Juno has started to sit on the nest, and she only comes down to feed or to stretch her wings. I guess that means that she has started to lay her eggs. I takes several days to lay the eggs, and when that is finished, I expect that she will stay on the nest. Last year she did'nt come down to feed for the first time on the 22nd of March, so this year they seem to be at least one week earlier. But judging from her open beak it is already warm in the nest - last year we still had a thick layer of snow on the 22nd!

Juno staying in the nest means that Siden's long period of hard work starts. First, he has to feed his female during the incubation, and then he has to feed her AND the hungry chicks for several weeks. When they are big enough to be left alone in the nest, Juno will help with the feeding...but that is weeks away.

As Juno was in the nest I didn't expect them to be interested in anymore building material, but as I was brushing one of the horses just beside the aviary, I just propped some of the abundant winter coat through the mesh, and ZOOM! In a blink Juno was there to collect the horse hair.

//Helena

Experienced nest builders

It is not only Siden and Juno who learned from building a nest last year. Also I know what twigs are preferred and in what order.
So when I started to manufacture the pieces of hemp strings they used for lining last year, Siden and Juno was thrilled - clinging to to the fence, their bodies screaming  - hurry up!

 

 //Helena