A group of crows is collectively known as a "murder". A group of ravens, on the other hand, is called an "unkindness." Ravens in Britain have suddenly become very unkind, indeed. Large flocks of ravens been attacking and killing newborn lambs.
High in the darkening sky, a flock of enormous ravens swoop and swirl – narrow black wings stretched wide, heads protruding forward and huge hairy beaks scything through the air.
Every few minutes they let out deep, throaty, honking calls as they soar effortlessly, circling around until, finally, they spot their prey and swoop.
But forget dormice, voles or even small furry rabbits; these sinister looking birds are feasting on something far larger – newborn lambs.
And instead of hanging around for a few discarded bones or a forgotten carcass to pick and claw at, they've started killing live farm animals – by pecking them to death, in horrific scenes reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's The Birds, turned by Alfred Hitchcock into one of the most chilling movies of all time.
Throughout Britain, traumatised farmers have reported a sudden and disturbing rise in the number of livestock being attacked by ravens.
Farmer John Kirk, 50, from Nethybridge, near Aviemore, has lost more than 40 animals in the past few weeks.
"It's like something out of a horror film. They are horrible, horrible birds. They see the young lambs and just fly down and help themselves," he said.
"Sometimes you find a carcass with the eyes and tongue pecked out, but sometimes all you find is the skin. They peck away until nothing is left." And while some animals have been pecked to death, others have been left to die in agony after birds have feasted on their eyes, tongues and the soft flesh of their underbellies.
Ravens, like vultures in the United States, are protected by law. So farmers can't just kill the offending birds. When there are too many of them, they begin hunting rather than waiting for a dead carcass to feast on. Exactly the same thing is happening in the US with the vultures.
In other words, there are unintended consequences to even the most well-meaning protection of threatened species.
Back in my river guiding days, I had a couple of big old ravens ride on my boat for 10 miles after I left Havasu creek in the Grand Canyon. It must have the peanut M&M’s I was hand feeding them. The sheep need M&M’s.
In England Ravens are an iconic bird (I forget why at the moment.They are treated like royalty ant London Tower.
When I young and lived on a farm, we had trouble with vultures killing and eating baby pigs.
Curtis, per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tower_of_London#Ravens, there is an old legend/myth that kingdom will fall if the ravens leave the Tower.
Alfred Hitchcock lives!