Raven envy

We live on a steep hillside--it's about 250 steps to the shoreline--so I kind of envy the ravens when they take off and glide downtown in a matter of moments. When the Santa Anna winds blow and there are red flag warnings for LA, here on Catalina Island you'll see ravens soaring, diving, doing barrel rolls and generally dancing on the wind. They're vocal birds, and when they land nearby like this pair on a power pole, we hear them squawking, quorking, and making all sorts of wild guttural sounds. Sometimes we can see them opening their bills and making quick clicking and clacking calls while they ruff up their feathers. They've got to be talking; it's just a language people don't understand.