The Ravens - Oct. 2013

For years there have been ravens coming to our camp in Baja and entertaining us with their calls and cackles and harassing our dogs with their playful antics and robbing our dogs food bowls.  Over the past few years these ravens have gotten use to the taste of our dog biscuits.  This year I have made a point, whenever the ravens come by, of going to our car where the biscuits are stored.  I open the door and grab a few biscuits then walk back over to where the ravens are.  I then start breaking the biscuits apart and gently start tossing the pieces towards the ravens.  I toss the pieces underhand so that the ravens will understand that I am not throwing rocks at them but something to eat instead, hoping to build more trust in me.  

Now over the past few months they have become the bird pets of our camp. Not only are they getting to know and trust me but now when I get into our car and drive away they will fly from camp and follow the car through the desert.  If we go to town for supplies the ravens will wait in the desert for us to return, then when they see us coming they will fly over and around the car until we get within 200 yards of camp.  They will then fly on ahead of us to camp and wait for us to arrive.  When we get to camp they will start making their calls until I grab a few biscuits and start feeding them!

The ravens now watch every move I make in camp and follow me when I go for a walk or when I go to the beach to take a bath or get a bucket of water.  They have become quite the companions.  Every day they become more and more use to me to where I can walk within 10 feet of them and they won't fly away.  It will be interesting to see where my friendship with these ravens will go from here.