Corvus corax

You usually hear them before you see them. Common Ravens are loud, croaking, talkative, barky.The pair circled around the Sylvan Water recently, skimming down low over the water and stirring up the geese. It was a spectacular display.And it was quite a scene there at the Sylvan. At least seven Phoebes and two Northern Rough-winged Swallows were fly-catching. It seemed to cool for insects, but I know they were there because I caught one of my own: something winged flew into the corner of my mouth. Two Red-tailed Hawks circled overhead. A Yellow-rumped Warbler hopped along the edge of the pond. A Fox Sparrow kicked the ground around five smaller Song Sparrows, and a Field Sparrow, looking terribly out of place, continued the sparrow theme. There was a stealth male Wood Duck that didn’t move for the 20-30 minutes I was there, even while the Ravens soared overhead. A male Kestrel ate what I fear was a Golden-crowned Kinglet; I had just seen two of them. And then came the Ravens.The middle feathers of a Common Raven’s tail are longer than the ones on either side, so the tail looks pointy in the middle. “Wedge-shaped” is the usual description.