[Tweeters] Alaska ravens

[Martha Jordan]

My friend is spending time in Juneau, AK this week. It snowed and is still
snowing...likely about 3 feet total. Meanwhile, while is shoveling the
driveway, the ravens have been around and appearing to be having a bit of
play:
    They call as they fly through the big trees, landing on a branch
covered with snow. Landing enough to cause the branch to move as much as
possible. They appear to be hoping that the snow will fall from the branch
and create a "snow bomb" that splats on the ground or on an object or a
person. What my friend also noted was that the ravens who land on a branch
and no snow falls off will grab the branch with their feet and flap hard to
raise the branch then let it go to dislodge the snow.  Snow bombs.  At
least one raven seems to do this over a person or at least near them. When
a snow bomb happens the raven's call changes, other ravens chatter in and
they fly to a new spot for another try.  They sometimes play like this in
the trees for hours.

Has anyone else observed this behavior in ravens here in WA or elsewhere?

Martha Jordan
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