Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Southern Ontario Reports => Topic started by: Axeman on February 21, 2010, 01:20:39 PM

Title: Raven
Post by: Axeman on February 21, 2010, 01:20:39 PM

I have often heard what sounds like a raven around our place...and today I saw one...the unmistakable bump on beak and it was considerably larger than a crow...we are in Grey County...about a half hour south of Owen Sound....I was wondering if this is something to be expected or a lucky visit.

Title:
Post by: Mark D on February 21, 2010, 07:42:14 PM

On the Uxbridge Christmas Bird count back in early January there were 8 ravens sighted, and I know of someone in the area who had a pair roosting in their shed for a while.  From what understand, the ravens seem to be expanding their range southward, and they seem to be more common than they used to be down here.

Mark

Title: Common Ravens on Pickering CBC
Post by: Steve LaForest on February 21, 2010, 08:04:48 PM

On the Pickering CBC on Jan 2, 2010, there were 3 Common Ravens.  This was only our second year for the species.
Steve

Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on February 21, 2010, 08:23:23 PM

Axeman ... cool.   8)   Hopefully you'll get to see the same one and more soon!  

I've only ever seen 2 Ravens here and the sightings were 10 years apart.    

Jo-Anne

Title:
Post by: Tyler on February 21, 2010, 08:40:03 PM

Ravens are becoming a much more common species south of the shield as the forests mature. That said the most famous pair along the escarpment in grey county nests in a grain silo in the village of Ravenna (yes that is the actual town name).  Buy a pie at the general store (they are quite tasty) and look across the road when you exit, at the silo and that is the nest. Ravens prefer to use cliffs, mature trees and power tripods (i.e. large power line towers) In the grey bruce and western simoce county there is at least a dozen territories currently.

Further south along the escarpment there is a nesting pair in the quarries just NW of Milton.

Last years Common Raven breeding attempt in the Rouge Park was the first actual pure raven nest in over 80 years in the city of Toronto. There was a crow /raven nest on a building in the former psych hospital lands known now as Colonel Sam Smith park, in the late 80s or early 90s. The exactly year the Cravens were raised escapes me tonight.

In Durham Region there are territories in Seaton (north pickering), Durham forest (oldest nest and my personal favorite) Chalk lake, sw Uxbridge, Long Sault, Ganaraska Forest( 1-3 nests), and Tyrone area. Like the Bald Eagles, Common Ravens are recolonizing their former breeding range as well.

I would be suprised if York region did not have 1-2 pairs at least, up on the Moraine as well.

Title:
Post by: Axeman on February 25, 2010, 12:45:06 PM

Tyler: I'm not too far from Ravenna...(there are reports of a cougar in that area)...

Thanks guys...my field guide (its really old) showed their Ontario range to be further north...and the only time / place I've seen them is a visit to Riding Mountain National Park in MB...I guess to me, they are one of the symbols of the True North Strong and Free.....

I've actually been hearing a raven for the past few years but have never seen it so I was begining to doubt myself.