Update on the Wellesley Ravens

Pauline and Henry, Ravens-in-Residence at Wellesley, had a nest of five eggs, and four of those were viable and hatched. Three of the young ravens were very lively and robust, and one was a little...not so lively and robust. When it came time to fledge in late May, the first three were out of the nest lickety-split, while the one my family dubbed "Junior" sort of just sat there, looking glum and trying out his not-very-lively wings. But his family returned to him to make sure he had food and water, and slept near him at night, even though they should have been out roosting in trees or bushes. It was clear they cared, and that's amazing! Most bird species don't behave that way at all. Corvids are different.
I am pleased to announce that Pauline and Henry's four young ones have all successfully fledged- I'm sure viewers around the world were cheering when Junior finally, with coaxing from his siblings, made it out of the nest and into the wide world! I'm looking forward to seeing Pauline and Henry at nesting time next spring. (Ravens are monogamous and generally mate for life.)
Here is a splendid pair of Northern Ravens from India, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Indian Cousins of Pauline and Henry, wikipedia

The Amazing Wellesley Ravens

I just love corvids. I used to live in the Far North, where the ravens are the size of small aircraft. Now I live in the tropics, and we have Fish Crows, the smaller, cuter cousin of the American Crow.

Fish Crows, MRobb, 20014

I love them, but I do miss the ravens. So I was delighted to find a happy raven family on a webcam at Wellesley College. It's nesting season, and the happy pair (ravens are monogamous) are raising 4 lovely ravinettes...let's check it out!

http://www.wellesley.edu/ravencam

The latest research shows that some crows, particularly the New Caledonian Crow, are as smart as chimpanzees! If you want to learn some amazing facts about just how much more intelligent corvids are than a lot of humans you know, read this right now:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19042_6-terrifying-ways-crows-are-way-smarter-than-you-think.html

Have a great weekend and Happy Gardening!