Magic was in the air last Sunday afternoon. I was on a walk with family admiring the spring beauty of the forest when I heard a noise standing apart from all of the other bird songs. It sounded like a deep-throated croaking noise. The caw was harsher than that of the common Northwestern Crow, but the melodious components were beautiful.
Confused by the song, though still expecting to see a crow or a Steller's Jay, I looked up into the trees. Near the top of a tree almost as far as the eye could see were two ginormous black birds. Looking back a little later from a different angle, a third silhouette could be seen - this one even closer and larger than the other two. The three birds were Common Ravens.
I felt privileged to have this special encounter with the ravens. We do have some resident Common Ravens in the area (as recognized by our list of Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest birds), but it is relatively unusual for them to make an appearance - especially one in which they can be easily distinguished from their cousins the crows. This made the experience even more special for me, and is one of the reasons that I love bird watching.
It is wonderful that birds (as well as many other species of fauna) have somewhere as large and natural as Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest to seek peace from the noisy urban areas. This is why it is so important to respect this ecosystem by leashing dogs at all times, sticking to the paths, and taking out of the forest everything that you brought into it (and no more).
Written by Sasha, Webmaster of Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society.
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