raven play

Oh to be a raven, even for a moment. Flying, playing, floating, diving, and somersaulting in the air, seeming to defy gravity – or at least be in a satisfying truce with it.

Yesterday they were playing on the updrafts in the strong off-shore winds over the hills by the dunes at Point Reyes National Seashore, and it’s almost as fun to watch as I imagine it is to do. One raven had some sort of stick or bone in its beak, and was teasing and playing “keep away” from the others for a long time. The games and players change and evolve, sometimes it’s just two ravens, sometimes as many as 12 got in on the fun.