Dave Hubble looks at the raven.

Ravens were once widespread in Hampshire, especially in the New Forest, but by the mid 19th
century were almost extinct in the area, mainly due to persecution by gamekeepers and egg collecting. When gamekeeping activity dropped during the 20th century, ravens started to recolonise parts of the country, but a breeding pair wasn’t recorded in Hampshire until 2003. So, it was good to see, or more often hear, a pair in the riverside treeline by HCF during March and April, the middle of their breeding period. They are the largest of the crow family and can be identified by their shaggy throat-feathers, heavy beak and distinctive ‘kronking’ call. Their size isn’t always easy to gauge until they are seen next to other species such as carrion crows which often mob ravens.

They are opportunistic and omnivorous; they scavenge, hunt and forage – anything from grains and berries to invertebrates, larger prey and carrion. They are excellent problem-solvers and their seemingly high intelligence is an area of active research. In the US, they have even been recorded leading wolves and coyotes to large carcasses so they can be opened (ravens’ beaks aren’t strong enough to tear through large mammal hides); the ravens can then also feed on the remains. Their intelligence has been known, if not understood, for many centuries. In Norse mythology, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory or mind) are a pair of ravens that fly off to bring Odin information. In the Tlingit and Haida cultures of the Pacific Northwest, and on Kamchatka, ravens are both creator gods and tricksters. Closer to home, it is said that “if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it”. This is often thought to be an ancient superstition, but is likely to be a Victorian invention – even the current Ravenmaster thinks so (and yes, that’s a real job).

At HCF, we are lucky to host a raven territory, so they may have raised young – something to
celebrate. In any case, ravens are bright, playful, evocative… and back. The raven pictured is in flight at the farm.

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