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Yesterday, after a three-week visit, during which she drove me almost daily to the Petroglyph National Monument, the Rio Grande hiking trails, etc., my daughter returned to Kentucky and I went hiking up the desert ravine.

As I walked down the hill toward the desert, I heard the male Chihuahua raven, and looked up to see the four Chihuahua fledglings with a parent at each end of the line, passing slowly overhead.

The male called to me a couple of times, but, despite his earnest efforts to teach me to fly on Saturday, my arms were still too spindly to get off the ground, so I just waved.

Later that afternoon, I heard the raven's voice again and saw shadows passing in front of the sliding glass doors. It was the raven family, slowly circling over the yard, swooping down low in front of the doors so I could see them.

I went outside and took photos as they circled over my head, before they flew off down the ravine.

Again, the male called to me to join them but I couldn't do so. About that time, my niece and her two children came over to visit her mom, and while I was telling the kids about the ravens, I saw them fly pass the picture window.

We went into the yard to see them, and two of the raven fledglings landed on the telephone pole below, then took off clumsily.

I changed clothes and hiked up the ravine to look for the ravens and coyotes, but a woman was hiking the same trail with her large dog running loose through the sagebrush, so no coyotes today, although I've been seeing them almost every night.

I only saw birds like male greater roadrunners buzzing a greeting, male Gambel's quail calling on the wall, several curve-billed thrashers calling "WIT! WIT!" to me, then bursting into song when I passed.

Photo is the male Chihuahua raven "talking" to me, as he circled overhead in my backyard, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

birdingnut 8 June 7
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2 comments

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1

Just amazing.

Yeah..that's just weird. Since I started hiking in the desert, various bird species have decided I'm part of their family or a second mate, and even the coyotes treat me as an honorary pack member. I don't feed any animals or birds, just photograph them.

When the male Chihuahua raven first tried to bring me half a dead animal, I cringed and jerked back, shocking him, but I didn't even know we were on a friends basis..I had only been observing him and his mate courting and nesting from a distance and only waved when they dipped a wing at me.

@birdingnut What size t-shirt do you wear, I have a friend that designs and draws art and she has one depicting a raven. Will send you one, you can message me if you would like.

@dalefvictor How sweet! My daughter and I are also artists but my daughter considers the common raven her spirit animal. She has made many raven paintings and prints, but so far she's never done T-shirts. Right now, I'd have to wear a size large men's T-shirt, since I have cancer and often get a swollen abdomen. I'm taking cannabis oil and GcMAF, etc and getting stronger but still have a ways to go..

Since neither my daughter nor I had ever met a Chihuahua raven family before, my daughter might switch her spirit animal preference to that species instead of the common raven. I had chosen a wolf as my "spirit animal" but so far that raven seems to have decided that I'm in the family.

I was just out hiking in the desert and the Chihuahua raven couple came flying across the valley to me, the babies strung out behind them, circled my head using sounds that I had already learned meant I was to hurry up and follow him, that it was time eat and go to bed. Then they all streaked off through the sky toward my house. I followed, trudging slowly in the desert sand and found the babies piled on the telephone pole below my house, which is on a ridge.

Sure enough, the male fed the babies, then they all hunkered down on the poles as though to roost near my house. I had to return home, so I assume they plan to sleep there tonight.

1

The Chihuahua raven is an interesting bird! That is a great photo, thanks for sharing your story and photo!

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