When a Bald Eagle showed up the other morning and landed on a snag right opposite from where I was sitting by the river I nearly rubbed my hands together in Scrooge-like glee at the thought of the entertainment I knew would ensue.
There were Common Ravens all over that morning, swirling in pairs and small groups, loudly cawing and croaking, cavorting like teenagers cutting class. Ravens always express strong opinions when a large raptor is in the neighborhood, and it was a matter of seconds after the Eagle established its perch that Ravens began to stack themselves up on the same snag.
The first Raven arrived but the Eagle was not bothered.
More Ravens came to the snag to further investigate.
Pretty soon a few more arrived, but still, the Eagle remained unperturbed.
As the corvid posse continued to attend to the massive eagle I began to wonder if the Ravens were juveniles who knew they should be paying attention, but were not yet schooled in or prepared for their role as tormenters of visiting raptors. The eagle’s calm demeanor suggested it may have been aware of this likelihood.
Here the two seem to be showing off their nictitating membranes (protective cover over the eye but under the true eyelid) to each other.
This is about as much attention as the Eagle deigned to show the would-be annoyers.
The video below shows the Ravens gathering near the eagle but stopping short of any real interaction. I have watched Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, and Red-tailed Hawks aggressively escorted away from this stretch of river many times over the years.
Near the end of the clip a Raven plucks a cached nut from the snag and eats it as if to inspire some envy in the obligate carnivore eagle. The tiny birds flying all around in the background are Violet-green Swallows, and you’ll hear the call of a Pileated woodpecker. (Apologies for the crooked frame.)
Eventually the Eagle casually flew off and the Ravens resumed their shenanigans.
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