Ralph the Raven or possibly Ralphetta, Rolfe, or Rolfetta
- ellieswinhoe
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
3 years ago, Jaqui Coles found a tiny, injured and poorly black bird near a bench on Bullen Mead in Chantry. She started to feed it and watch over it. Luckily for that little bird, it had found its Good Samaritan. It grew and grew. Other neighbours started to feed it too. It grew BIG and it gained a name – Ralph the Raven. Since speaking to the residents on Bullen Mead, no one is sure of its sex, hence it could be Ralphetta! When you see him next to the other ravens, he’s quite a bit smaller. By the way, those other ravens are not nice to Ralph – he has been bullied, and Jaqui is sure that she saved him from more serious injury or death when she came out one day and found him cornered in her garden. Ravens are territorial and nature can be cruel to the weak – Ralph can’t fly well, his wing has never properly recovered.
Ralph lives at Bullen Mead – he’s part of the community. Ravens are fully protected birds and we are incredibly lucky to have a breeding pair who have nested and lived in the churchyard for many years. It is highly unusual for them to be around gardens – they usually live in mountainous areas in the north and west. I’ve seen our pair soaring and scavenging at the steep walls of the quarry – so that is their rocky mountainside.
Tony and Jaqui continue to feed Ralph every day – minced pork, lamb and other delicacies. He is lucky to have them and the other neighbours who I know feed him too. Tony told me that he used to keep birds of prey, so he is very experienced with these large birds and I can see the huge fondness that this couple have for him. Tony has sent me lots of video clips of him chatting to Ralph and he will respond with a “hallo”!
Whenever I am close by I can hear Ralph “honking”, such a distinctive sound. He will shout for his breakfast every morning until someone comes out with it. I was lucky enough to be close to him the other day, within a couple of metres – such an impressive creature with the most beautiful glossy black feathers with a metallic sheen. I watched him pick up his bits of bread, walk over to his water bowl and dunk the bread before he ate it. Well, it was a hot and thirsty day!
Ravens are highly intelligent and they are problem solvers. As intelligent as a seven-year-old child. They have brilliant memories, so can hide and store their food as required. They will remember exactly where they have put it. But be warned, they will hold a grudge. They know who is good and nice to them, and they will remember who hasn’t been. Ralph would come right up to Tony and Jaqui for food until recently, but something has happened that is making him keep his distance. Please respect him and treat him kindly.
Yes, he is mischievous. He needs stuff to do, to occupy his mind. Jacqui has lost a couple of pairs of gardening gloves – they’ve probably been hidden somewhere. He has also had fun pulling face cloths off the washing line and taking them up on to the roof, but the Coles’ accept his naughtiness as a pay off for having such and amazing bird living so close to them.
Did you know?
Ravens feature in lots of myths and legends. To the Native Americans, the Raven was a trickster, to the Norse, a faithful companion of Odin, and to the Greeks, a messenger of Apollo. Even to this day, it’s said that if the Tower of London loses its resident Ravens, the kingdom itself will fall.
(RSPB)
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