DURING my youthful visits to the Lake District, it was not uncommon to see ravens flying or perching among the crags. Their enormous size was a ready identifier supported by the distinctive croaking call. It is far less likely to see one in this region but I am sure one flew over our house on the edge of the North York Moors only a day or two before compiling these notes.

It happened so quickly that I cannot be sure, but the huge black bird was far larger than the carrion crows that sometimes pass by, and certainly a giant in comparison with it near relations, the rooks and jackdaws. The raven is larger than a buzzard but not quite so big as a golden eagle.

The raven is the world’s largest passerine, passerines being perching birds, and it is also the largest member of the crow family. When soaring over the landscape with its fingered wings extended, it can sometimes be mistaken for a huge bird of prey but its completely black plumage, black beak and black legs have added to its reputation as a bird that is associated with evil. Another reason for this image is that it used to feed on the carcases of victims of the gibbet!

It also has a reputation for feeding on the dead bodies of many creatures, even to the extent of visiting slaughter houses and refuse tips.

Its behaviour has led to its being featured in the folk lore of this country and other nations further north, often being associated with death and destruction while by contrast in some mythologies, it was a sacred bird. Norse legends regarded the raven as sacred to Odin while others including the Celts believed it to be a messenger from the gods. The Swedes thought that ravens were the ghosts of those who had been murdered and denied a Christian burial.

In Cornish folk lore, it was long thought that King Arthur was still alive in the form of a raven while in parts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, mischievous children were warned they would be carried off by a raven if they misbehaved. Many ordinary folk in this country believed its presence forecast death, disaster or floods. For example, if it croaked near a house, it was an indication that someone within that house would shortly die. In Lincolnshire, it was unlucky to hear the croak of a raven especially over one’s left shoulder and over a wide area of this country, it was thought to herald disease and sickness.

Probably due to its ancient association with the god Odin, some cultures welcomed the raven. In Wales it was said that a blind person who was kind to a raven would regain his or her sight.

Many country folk over a wide area believed it was fortuitous to meet a single raven but unlucky to meet two or three together. In the Highlands of Scotland, a hunter who was heading off in pursuit of deer also felt it was fortunate to meet a raven as he was setting out.

Even in today’s England, we ensure that the tame ravens kept in the Tower of London are always well cared-for. There is a widespread belief that if those ravens ever leave the Tower, then the Crown will fall, and the country with it. An associated belief is that so long as the ravens remain in the Tower of London, England will be safe from invasion. This particular belief dates to the time of King Arthur with some people believing that King Arthur never died, but was transformed into a raven.

Contrary to this belief is one that suggests ravens are birds of ill-omen. They were said to herald death, a sign that death was imminent being when the raven croaked.

In the world of Christian belief, it was said the raven was the first bird to leave Noah’s Ark to check on the levels of floodwater. The dove followed later. According to Jewish legend, the raven was white when it left the Ark on that reconnaissance trip, turning black only when it failed to return.

Ravens, which are highly intelligent birds but which were unclean according to Hebrew law, were used by God to take food to the prophet Elijah in the wilderness (1 Kings xvii 4).

There are other stories of ravens carrying food to hermits and monks in the desert. Indeed, Jesus told us (Luke 12.24) to “Consider the ravens; they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable are you than birds!”

In addition to all these factors, ravens have also been associated with hidden treasure, especially in the North of England. E and MA Radford, in their Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, relate the story of Sir John Duck, who was a wealthy citizen of Durham during the 17th century. It seems he had acquired his huge riches after a raven had dropped a silver coin at his feet, although it must be borne in mind that this could have been a pure accident.

Another popular folk tale is that beneath Gisborough Priory, there is a hidden hoard of treasure guarded by a giant raven. The treasure is in a long tunnel beneath the ruins and one version is that the fearsome black protector is in fact the ghost of the Black Monk. He is said to return once a year to examine the ruins and no doubt to check whether the treasure is still intact!

Surprisingly, despite the size of a raven, it does occasionally nest in a tree where it builds an enormous nest of twigs and small sticks, although in general it seems to prefer rocky ledges in cliffs.

Inland visitors

Another very large bird often seen around our coasts is the cormorant, usually noticed sitting on a rock with its wings outstretched to dry them.

Recently, therefore, I was quite surprised to see a small colony on Castle Howard’s Great Lake, more than 20 miles from the sea. There they can often be seen drying their wings while perched on a dead tree on the shoreline. The last time we were there, we noticed three on that tree, all drying their wings

We also encountered a gloomy-faced fisherman who was holidaying in one of the lakeside static caravans and he quickly told us he hated cormorants because they caught all "his" fish.

However, wing-drying seems to be a strange requirement for a bird that spends so much of its time in water – ducks, swans and other water fowl do not need to dry their wings in this way but the cormorant and its near cousin, the shag, both have to spend time standing with their wet wings outstretched while looking something like a sinister black crosses.

Despite their size – about a metre in length – cormorants are very strong and capable flyers and small skeins can sometimes be seen flying just above the waves at sea. When they venture inland, it seems they prefer to fly at a great height where their silhouettes can sometimes be mistaken for geese or swans but their voices are silent in flight.