Raven? in Crumlin

vandriver

Anyone know if there any ravens about in Dublin?This bird was completely glossy black including its beak.It seemed to be both bigger and stockier then a rook.

Desmo

vandriver wrote: »

Anyone know if there any ravens about in Dublin?This bird was completely glossy black including its beak.It seemed to be both bigger and stockier then a rook.

There has been a pair of Ravens in UCD for months. They have been seen all over the campus and around Booterstown. I know someone who has seen a raven recently near the canal at Baggot Street. They are in the city alright. The tail shape is diagnostic (wedge shaped at tip rather than straight across); they are bigger than Grey Crows and the call is very deep. Once you get to know the call, you start hearing them around the place. The Mountains are full of them. Sounds like what you saw was one alright. p.s. just saw the photo; agree raven. They are very impressive beasts close up

vandriver

A phone shot till I get to my pc

V Bull

Hi Vandriver, I had a Raven fly high over my house in Rathfarnham about 10 days ago, by the time I got my camera it was gone. Possible sighting of the same bird on the 5th May reported on irishbirding website by a regular poster and in Sept last year in the Crumlin area, Bangor Circle I think it was.

vandriver

This was at the big circular green at Clonmacnoise Rd,and there was another flying overhead at the same time(what a wingspan!)

Birdnuts

vandriver wrote: »

This was at the big circular green at Clonmacnoise Rd,and there was another flying overhead at the same time(what a wingspan!)

Yeah - they are bigger than a buzzard. Ravens now breed in the Liffey Valley, Howth Head and over the higher parts of South Co. Dublin

dodderangler

Folks after a chat with a mate of mine it seems people are now getting them as pets and losing them . same reason we have Harris hawks redtails and goshawks and numerous species of owls flying about in the wild
Idiots that are getting them and worse are the ones who sell them
These ravens could well be pets escaped
I was thinkin of getting one this year and have been reading up on them.

Desmo

The UCD ravens come and go; they were there yesterday but have disappeared today. My guess is that they could easily be the Crumlin ones. They can easily fly a few km just for the craic. They were seen raiding a magpies nest on the Arts Block in UCD, a few weeks ago. Yesterday, I spent a while listening to them and apart from the usual very deep "caw", they have a whole range of other noises they make. Cracking birds; big, glossy and jet black, as you said.

tittybiscuits

You regularly see them around Balscadden in Howth and I've seen them in Raheny and Lusk (the one in Lusk was being escorted out of town by a gang of rooks). Magnificent birds and they do make some great sounds, sometimes sound like loud burps!

olly_mac

I have been spotting them on a regular basis for the past two years or so. I was working near Collin's Barracks for a spell last year, and saw a pair every day for a few weeks. I have spotted them in St Stephen's Green too.

dodderangler

photo taken earlierthis lad is 16 weeks old and a bit bitey but after few minutes was well used to me andlet me stroke his chest and head and he even had my finger in his mouth but only playing
he did break the skin after pecking my palm
wanted to bring him home
now hes only a baby but heres a size comparison

vandriver

Raven by carl cotter, on Flickr

recedite

There's a lot more of them in lowland areas of Wicklow this year, compared to other years, when you would mostly see them only in the mountains. I reckon we are seeing the result of their improved life expectancy and consequent breeding success, since it became illegal to leave poisoned lamb carcasses out on the hillsides, back in 2010. They have to move out, looking for new territories. They are an impressive bird alright. They were associated with warriors and battlefields in celtic legend, hence the image of Cuchulain (one perched on his shoulder as he dies).