Ladyhawk's Lair
New member
I wouldn't exactly call myself a bird watcher. I'm more of a wildlife observer / photographer / professional learner. 
I've learned a lot of things about a lot of topics, so my expertise in any one area can be a bit limited. You've heard the saying "jack of all trades; master of none"? Well, I prefer "Renaissance woman." I have broad tastes and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
I know this part of the forum is generally reserved for saying hello, but I'm going to go ahead and ask a quick question about common raven reproduction. If you're not interested in that, you can skip everything below and simply accept my greeting: Hello, there.
I observed a pair of ravens build a nest near a trail head I frequent, but I haven't seen much of them since they finished the nest. I've done some Googling and learned crows will build dummy nests, but I'm not sure if ravens do that. Perhaps the female is sitting on eggs and the male is out foraging. Are they secretive about nest locations? They're smart, so that could be a possibility.
I bought a lens that nearly doubles the power of my previous telephoto lens and I'd very much like to get some pictures and videos of activity at the nest...that is, if they haven't abandoned it. What would be the best way to find out whether the nest has been abandoned? Should I bring a chair and wait to see if a raven flies to the nest? The trail head is far enough away that it shouldn't bother them, especially since the trail is so busy this time of year with people coming to see the incredible California wildflower bloom.
I certainly haven't got near enough for them to feel threatened and I very much doubt anyone else knows where the nest is. I find corvids fascinating, especially the pair that owns that trail. I named them Huginn and Muninn and have been trying to put together enough footage for a short documentary. Nesting behavior would be icing on the cake.
I've learned a lot of things about a lot of topics, so my expertise in any one area can be a bit limited. You've heard the saying "jack of all trades; master of none"? Well, I prefer "Renaissance woman." I have broad tastes and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.I know this part of the forum is generally reserved for saying hello, but I'm going to go ahead and ask a quick question about common raven reproduction. If you're not interested in that, you can skip everything below and simply accept my greeting: Hello, there.
I observed a pair of ravens build a nest near a trail head I frequent, but I haven't seen much of them since they finished the nest. I've done some Googling and learned crows will build dummy nests, but I'm not sure if ravens do that. Perhaps the female is sitting on eggs and the male is out foraging. Are they secretive about nest locations? They're smart, so that could be a possibility.
I bought a lens that nearly doubles the power of my previous telephoto lens and I'd very much like to get some pictures and videos of activity at the nest...that is, if they haven't abandoned it. What would be the best way to find out whether the nest has been abandoned? Should I bring a chair and wait to see if a raven flies to the nest? The trail head is far enough away that it shouldn't bother them, especially since the trail is so busy this time of year with people coming to see the incredible California wildflower bloom.
I certainly haven't got near enough for them to feel threatened and I very much doubt anyone else knows where the nest is. I find corvids fascinating, especially the pair that owns that trail. I named them Huginn and Muninn and have been trying to put together enough footage for a short documentary. Nesting behavior would be icing on the cake.
