Bird in the Shower!

OK this is one-up on your common bird bath!

I’ve mentioned before that I have friends who are Game Keepers – one such is David Whitby – head keeper to Lord Egremonts’s Leconfield Estate.

Dave can always be relied upon to have a new animal or bird living with him – this time I was invited round to see his pet Raven (Corvus corax) enjoying the hot weather.

The Raven is a big black bird, a member of the crow family. It is massive - the biggest member of the crow family. It is all black with a large bill, and long wings. It looks extremely fierce and probably can be, but young ‘Cronk’ is gentle and very affectionate – also very, very intelligent.

Legend says that the Tower of London, and indeed the kingdom will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress. It was Charles II, according to the stories, who first insisted that the ravens of the Tower should be protected.

This was against the wishes of his astronomer, John Flamsteed, who complained that the ravens impeded the business of his observatory in the White Tower.

Despite their having one wing trimmed, some ravens do in fact go absent without leave and others have had to be sacked. Raven George was dismissed for eating television aerials, and Raven Grog was last seen outside an East End pub.

‘Cronk’ enjoyed play fighting with one of the resident Labrador puppies followed by a session under the animal shower which Dave has installed in his garden – then, feathers all preened back into place he posed for this fine portrait photograph!