UKC

There's two magnificent Ravens nesting at Malaucene.
Unfortunatley they have built this massive nest in a small cave on probably the best 6b in our area.
There's 6 beautiful blue eggs in the nest too - at least there were until I took them.
I have them here - pin-pricked and nicely blown. So if anyone wants a raven's egg for their collection I can wrap in tissue paper and post one to you.
First come first served, there's only 6 so be quick


Actually what really happened was a friend of mine put a sign up to try to prevent anyone climbing the route.
I'm just really interested in knowing how long the chicks will take to fledge and when it will be cool to climb the route again?
They really are a magnificent pair and when we're at the crag (climbing away from them) they keep us entertained with some great noises.

Cheers,

E

In reply to Enty:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Corvus_corax/

up to 11 weeks odd - will depend on location

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Hey cheers for that. Do you know when it's been ok to climb on routes close to Raven's nests in the UK? Wasn't there one on Twikker at Millstone?

E

In reply to Enty:

I hope you retained the blown egg content to make scrambled eggs with. I have it on good authority that with the addition of Garlic & Tabasco a Ravens egg makes an excellent deterrent for vampires. Hence allowing you to climb those bat infested routes that are off limits.

In reply to Enty:

Possibly but last year Ravens nested on Ravensdale and it was all closed off by Natural England. They need quite a bit of space but have a relatively short breeding/fledging period

In reply to Enty:

I love the noise that ravens make, whenever I hear one it makes me think of climbing in the Lakes. I dont know much about birds are they rare in the UK?

In reply to Enty:

Yeah, regular on Twikker.

D'you know why Twikker is so called? Quite cool. I only found out recently.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:


Was it the raven's name?

In reply to Enty:
Yes, Ravens are such beautiful and characterful birds! and also very very intelligent. I know they nest a few months earlier than most birds ( cause there 'ard!)

Ive got a great programme i video'd back in the day following in a year in the life of a pair of Ravens on Snowdon.

In reply to Enty:

I was speaking to an RSPB marshaller at the base of Hen Cloud today and mentioned your thread and he said Ravens are very protected so climbing around their nests shoulb be avoided if possible

Chris

In reply to Enty:
Ha! For a second there I was thinking 'that is barbaric!' .

Begs the question; why is a raven like a writing desk?

Regardless, one of them is likely to be called Mortimer.

In reply to Enty:
When I was a Viking, my friend he was The Raven. The most beautiful of birds and the most beautiful of songs.

In reply to chris fox:



Yeah, obviously we're avoiding the route which goes right past the nest. Luckily the routes either side are quite hard and don't get done much. All's well I reckon - we have a good relationship with the birds.
I'm going to give them names and talk to them every year when they come back.

E

In reply to Enty:

I'd suggest you don't go near until they have flown the nest. Many years ago I walked unknowingly under a nest (about 50ft above me). I noticed something fall out of the corner of my eye but didn't see what or exactly where. Later that day I walked past the same spot and saw a dead Raven chick. I guess it got a bit overexcited by my proximity and jumped before it was ready.

In reply to Enty:



Great idea Craig. Make them feel welcome. What do you reckon, then? I've always thought Alan is a must for a raven... What about the others?

In reply to chris fox:


All wild birds are protected in the UK:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/policy/wildbirdslaw/birdsandlaw/index.aspx

and particularly:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/policy/wildbirdslaw/birdsandlaw/wca/index.as...

The raven is currently showing as green status on the RSPB web site, and it's not listed in schedule 1 of the WCA 1981, so I don't think it has any extraordinary protection over and above the basic provisions of the WCA.

None of the above is directly relevant to Enty, of course, since he's in that France there.

I wouldn't be inclined to try to mess with a raven: apart from the fact that they're fantastic birds - and surprisingly agile in the air for such a big bird (ravens are one of the largest passerines and can be up to 5ft wingspan) - they have big, sharp, pointy beaks and a heartless glint in their eye!

In reply to Martin W:




They also represent the spirit of the mountains.

In reply to mockerkin:


Yes - I wish I could explain that to all the wankers who have had ropes everywhere over the last weekend. All over the route and the routes either side ignoring Jon's note at the base of the route.

Guess what? my two big black buddies were nowhere to be seen last night and today. F*cking sad and pissed off!

E

In reply to Enty:
Selfish bastards, huh? Sad - it wouldn't happen in GB.

In reply to jon:

Yeah was there last night and the other day. There's been a bunch of teenagers dogging all the 7a's all weekend leaving ropes everywhere.
There's also been some wood cutters below the crag with about 5 or 6 chainsaws going all morning then all afternoon. Not good.

E

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:





Well actually there is an area of Sheffield called The Wicker, and there was a magazine, maybe a rag magazine called T'Wicker, I'm sure that's how it got it's name.

In reply to Enty:

I don't know the area, but it's very late in the year for Ravens to be on eggs. I was helping ring some last week and the chicks were large and very near to fledging, and we are much further north. Perhaps they were making a second attempt after an earlier brood failed or fledged.

When they are building and laying they are very sensitive to disturbance. Once the chicks have hatched, the bigger they get the more disturbance the parents will put up with.

In reply to Enty:

Just an update on The Ravens at Malaucene:

I've been at Malaucene probably two to three times a week for the last two months. The place has been mobbed and I haven't seen the Ravens for about 5 weeks. Any how. Today the crag was deserted, no birds in sight so I climbed Mon Elle du Desire expecting to find a stinking nest with dead birds and rotten eggs. I pulled over into the cave to be greeted by the biggest, ugliest looking Raven chick you've ever seen. I moved over to the right, finished the route and lowered off. I then nipped up and removed the first two bolt hangers from the route. Hopefully this should be enough to dissuade people from climbing it and for the big ugly bird to survive.
I feel guilty for going near the route but like I say the place hs been mobbed for the last two months. Hopefully they now have a chance.

E

In reply to Enty:

Nice one!

In reply to Enty:

Good job. Great birds.

In reply to Enty:

Well done! I reckon human young are not so pretty in their first few weeks (if not months) of life. But ravens turn out handsome and do some interesting aerobatics in courtship and at other times - quite obviously 'just for the joy of it'. At least, thats what I want to believe

In reply to Enty:
Update.

I was at Malaucene today and the one surviving Raven chick has gone - yipee, I hope it survived it's first few weeks on it's own.

So I put the hangers back on the first two bolts, climbed the route to find some small birds nesting in a pocket higher up. 4 tiny chicks, heads up screaming for food when I looked in the pocket.
I came down and removed the hangers again

E