I love the intensity directed at nothing in particular.
The things that seemed really big when you were a kid end up a being lot smaller when viewed through your adult eyes. Everyone understands that apparently … except me.
This one strikes me as just matter of factly sitting in the tree.
When I was a kid these birds were less than half the size and had a much more annoying call. Though now that I think about it, those might have been crows. But no matter, these ravens are huge. I’m sure the bears are starting to take note.
Since it’s obvious that ravens getting larger is a bad thing, we need to find something to blame … like climate change. Any other theories you can suggest would be most helpful!
Meanwhile, I’m going back to measure myself. Just in case I’m getting smaller.
Krahnpix 
I love the detail in the first shot
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Thanks – I was pleased to get that.
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They are huge – seeing them fly overhead they seem comparable with a vulture or a good sized hawk – Great close shots – getting detail on a black bird with black features is a challenge.
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Thanks. I have to keep working to get that black on black to show some detail.
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At last – an animal we have in common. Your raven is almost identical to the Aussie version.
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I was beginning to think we had no wildlife in common. Still it seems strange that it’s a raven.
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Those are really nice photos. Thanks for giving me a detailed look at a bird I pretty much ignore as a big, dark, annoying presence!
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Thanks. I have been slowly changing from the black annoying thing to intriguing. I still hate crows though. You have to draw the line somewhere.
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Did you ever watch Game of Thrones on HBO? There are always sending the raven off to deliver a message. They looked fairly small on TV though. I wonder if they really used crows for the filming?
I like these guys. But then again I like vultures so…
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I never saw the show. But if they looked small you might be right. So you like vultures, ravens and … Spoonbills? I’m sure there’s a pattern in there somewhere.
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There probably is a pattern. Maybe it’s a goth thing with pink and black. Not that I’m goth but I bet a lot of birds would wear that look very well.
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I read in the Economist that many birds are increasing in size to have better chances of surviving. Some small bird species have disappeared while big birds increase. For example, not long ago it was very rare to see swans and herons over here, but now there are several in every little pond. So it’s not just your imagination, they probably ARE bigger.
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That’s very interesting. The big get bigger! Always nice to have reassurance that I’m not completely crazy!
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Maybe it’s the fact that tomorrow is Halloween, a day when thoughts turn to ghosts, goblins, and other scarey creatures, but I find your raven to have a frightening look to them. There is an intensity to the raven like he is really hungry (and if I am not mistaken, “ravenous” originally referred to “hungry as a raven”). I definitely would not want to tangle with a group of them in a darkened place.
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Well you definitely upped the ante with making the place dark, adding a group of them, making them hungry and throwing in images of Halloween! I wish I would have thot of all that sooner since that would have been a much more dramatic post!
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All you would need to do is work in Edgar Allan Poe’s raven poem for the full effect.
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I am opposed to all oversized black birds. Be careful out there.
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The closer I get to those ravens, the more it makes me pause.
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That is one shaggy and colorful raven! I’ve never seen the colors that clearly before.
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I’m always fascinated by a closer view and the information it reveals. The raven is no exception. By your comments, I can safely assume that is one bird you have not banded:)
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No, sadly we’ve never caught a corvid – they’re too big and would bounce out of the net. We’ve never caught anybody black and colorful either; almost caught a male Brewer’s Blackbird once, but then his mate flew in instead. So I’ve never seen the shiny black up close. Something to hope for next summer…
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Here’s hoping it happens
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Isn’t it funny what perspective can do? I’m kinda fascinated by the underbelly backwards shot, actually – I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever taken note of the undercarriage before – there are some pretty feathers hiding in those dark shadows after all. Who knew?
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That’s often the case when I taken note of something. I’ve been wondering lately if all those years I wrongly assumed there were only geese in the fields and now I see lots of Sandhill Cranes.
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And to the generic ‘geese’ we add Ross’ geese, snow geese, speckle-bellies – and the perennial sandhills. Amazing what one can miss for decades, isn’t it??
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That’s exactly right. Who knows what I don’t even know?
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😉 Someone somewhere knows something, rest assured….
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Teenage mutant ninja ravens?
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That must be it!
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Ravens are scary little buggers.
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I think it’s the black outfit and that oversize beak.
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