The Raven is back in London (4 Viewers)

[CorvidMania]

Sorry guys if this is in the wrong place, please correct me if needed.

The Raven is my favourite bird to watch, I find them fascinating and talking to some birders, many don’t ever get to see them or identify them assuredly. However my job takes me around much of the country each week and I get to see many of these beautiful corvids each. Just yesterday I saw 2 in West Oxfordshire nr Burford, 4 in Wiltshire nr Swindon and 1 in Gloucestershire. I can never get over the size of these things and some of the biggest I’ve seen are in comparison to the size of a Kite. Let me not get carried away now…but it seems as if they have started to expand their range into London too. They are now regularly spotted in Richmond Park, Enfield, Rainham Marshes as well as parts of Harrow. Today I saw one in Rickmansworth and I think it’s fantastic that they are heading to town. I’m all for the recovery of British wildlife, we have such a beautiful God given land and seeing the recovery of many species makes me feel really good about the various conservation schemes going on.

For anyone wanting a guaranteed places to see these birds, I would recommend Walbury Hill in Hungerford. Watlington on the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire boundary is another good place where you’ll often see up to 40 birds.

Has anyone else noticed the surge of numbers too?

 

[sillyak]

I hear Raven behavior is much different in the UK vs. NA.

Where I live Ravens are extremely common, and are very approachable. If one leaves a lunch sitting out in the open, a Raven will fly away with it before long.

 

[Ignatius]

Book recommendation: The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife.

 

[aeshna5]

I saw 2 at Rainham in the week- my first time seeing them there, though they have been reported a fair bit over the last couple of years.

Regularly visit Richmond Park & as you say have become pretty regular there now, perhaps spreading from the North Downs. Had a group of 5 fly low over me late last year & a pair on my visit last month. Hopefully will become as frequent as Buzzard.

 

[Farnboro John]

A friend of mine was dissed on line for mentioning on a local bird news service that he'd had a Raven in the New Forest, where they are seen and heard patrolling every day (record removed). No no, rare breeding bird, keep stumm! was the cry. The following weekend we had 150 in a single pig field in NW Hampshire. I don't know if the service in question has changed its policy yet.... Ravens are doing well.

Raven is also on my Farnborough house list (flyover only).

John

 

[Andy Lakin]

Definite increase in records round me (Doncaster, South Yorks) managed to see them over the garden a few times as well.

 

[CorvidMania]

A friend of mine was dissed on line for mentioning on a local bird news service that he'd had a Raven in the New Forest, where they are seen and heard patrolling every day (record removed). No no, rare breeding bird, keep stumm! was the cry. The following weekend we had 150 in a single pig field in NW Hampshire. I don't know if the service in question has changed its policy yet.... Ravens are doing well.

Raven is also on my Farnborough house list (flyover only).

John

Reminds me of the worrying stare I often get when I inform people that I saw a group of 70 in April 2021 in a field in Buckinghamshire. A well known birder who lives nearby first reported them which then attracted a lot of people to the area and apparently the Raven master from the Tower wants interested. The birds dispersed after that with only up 20 now present. I imagine some of them are forming the big groups around the Bucks/Beds/Northants border.

The M1/M6 and A414 motorway junction is always a good spot for them.

It’s great to see them returning with impunity..nature always sorts itself out in the end.

 

[CorvidMania]

I saw 2 at Rainham in the week- my first time seeing them there, though they have been reported a fair bit over the last couple of years.

Regularly visit Richmond Park & as you say have become pretty regular there now, perhaps spreading from the North Downs. Had a group of 5 fly low over me late last year & a pair on my visit last month. Hopefully will become as frequent as Buzzard.

Whereabouts in Richmond Park did you managed to spot as I’ve been there recently and I had no joy, it’s such a big place and I just thought I'd have a drive through as I was doing a delivery in the area.

 

[aeshna5]

Whereabouts in Richmond Park did you managed to spot as I’ve been there recently and I had no joy, it’s such a big place and I just thought I'd have a drive through as I was doing a delivery in the area.

Group of 5 were flying low over Hawthorn Valley (between Richmond Gate & Holly Lodge) , have had a pair over Lawn Field the same day (possibly from the group of 5 earlier) & last time over Pembroke Lodge.

 

[angusmcoatup]

Raven and Hobby are two birds that I’d see occasionally on my walk to work via Muswell Hill that would surprise me. Alexandra Palace being a good focal point for migrating / dispersing birds. Both are regular around London but definitely something special for the capital.

 

[aeshna5]

Raven and Hobby are two birds that I’d see occasionally on my walk to work via Muswell Hill that would surprise me. Alexandra Palace being a good focal point for migrating / dispersing birds. Both are regular around London but definitely something special for the capital.

Hobby is quite widespread in the outer boroughs ( several pairs not too far from me in the west) & even breeds in Kensington Gardens so is a much better established than Raven which I don't believe has bred yet in the capital, though maybe not too far off.

 

[CorvidMania]

Hobby is quite widespread in the outer boroughs ( several pairs not too far from me in the west) & even breeds in Kensington Gardens so is a much better established than Raven which I don't believe has bred yet in the capital, though maybe not too far off.

Up until a few years ago there was if I remember correctly a breeding pair in Stanmore Bentley Wood. There’s also a breeding pair in Enfield although conceded those areas are not technically in London.

Out of interest what does a Hobby eat on a day to day? I’m never able to positively identify most falcons as much I would like to.

 

[angusmcoatup]

Hobby is quite widespread in the outer boroughs ( several pairs not too far from me in the west) & even breeds in Kensington Gardens so is a much better established than Raven which I don't believe has bred yet in the capital, though maybe not too far off.

True- but still the sort of bird (like wild Ravens) not widely associated with the capital. I’ve seen Hobby around North London often over the years but rarely for long and usually when not strictly birding- beer garden flyovers account for several sightings.

 

[aeshna5]

Up until a few years ago there was if I remember correctly a breeding pair in Stanmore Bentley Wood. There’s also a breeding pair in Enfield although conceded those areas are not technically in London.

Out of interest what does a Hobby eat on a day to day? I’m never able to positively identify most falcons as much I would like to.

The places you mention- are you referring to Raven or Hobby? They are both in the London recording area.

Looking in the Birds of London (defined as a 20 mile radius from St. Paul's) there is no reference to any breeding Ravens in the 20th century or the current one (book published 2014), though mentions breeding in Herts & anticipates Raven is likely to breed with increasing sightings.
Looking in the 2018 London Bird Report it mentions breeding at Swanscombe for the 6th year, one in Surrey in 2016 & another in Herts, so 3 breeding sites that year, so guess that number of sites may have increased.

Hobbies take large flying insects but also birds, including hirundines, Swifts, Starlings & small waders amongst others.

 

[aeshna5]

True- but still the sort of bird (like wild Ravens) not widely associated with the capital. I’ve seen Hobby around North London often over the years but rarely for long and usually when not strictly birding- beer garden flyovers account for several sightings.

I think most birders in the capital would be aware of Hobby, though it's one of those birds that you stumble across as you mention. Certainly people visiting such hot spots such as the London Wetland Centre or Rainham RSPB have a good chance of seeing one.

Where I live I can now see 5 resident raptor species locally with Hobby a sixth in the summer. Red Kites are over the garden on a daily basis.

 

[Farnboro John]

I'm sure I remember Tolworth Tower being mentioned in connection with Ravens when we first started seeing the odd one at Thursley years ago, but it may have been roosting rather than breeding. Near Surbiton, counts as London?

John

 

[CorvidMania]

I think most birders in the capital would be aware of Hobby, though it's one of those birds that you stumble across as you mention. Certainly people visiting such hot spots such as the London Wetland Centre or Rainham RSPB have a good chance of seeing one.

Where I live I can now see 5 resident raptor species locally with Hobby a sixth in the summer. Red Kites are over the garden on a daily basis.

Hey, just looking back at my original message it was a tad confusing to understand. I was talking about the Raven breeding in Stanmore and Enfield.

Thanks for your reply regarding the Hobby, interesting that they take swifts, they must be quite nimble in the air.

 

[ieuancilgwri]

Me and my friends saw one near Haymarket in the middle of London on Saturday night, we got quite close to it and it hopped off…

 

[Deepgreen]

Ravens have come back to the North Downs in Surrey and we now see them almost daily from our garden between Dorking and Reigate. The deep 'pruk' call and the wedge tail are very distinctive, even if certainty about size is hard. Wonderful to see them returning, seemingly of their own accord rather than being introduced.

 

[Deepgreen]

Me and my friends saw one near Haymarket in the middle of London on Saturday night, we got quite close to it and it hopped off…

I very strongly suspect that will have been a Carrion Crow - they can look very large close to. As yet, the only Ravens in central London are at the Tower!