Belevenissen met Haviken Accipiter gentilis en Raven Corvus corax in zuidwestelijk Noord-Brabant in 2021 en 2022

In 2021, a Raven was recorded for the first time as a breeding bird in the woodlands of western Noord-Brabant. The pair settled in douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii within a long-known Goshawk Accipiter gentilis territory (the latter nesting some 100 m away, also in a douglas fir). Onset of laying of the Raven pair was estimated around mid- March (relatively late for Dutch Ravens), compared to between 25 March and 1 April for the nearby Goshawk. The three Raven chicks fledged between 20 and 25 May, and stayed within 2 ha of the nest till 10 June, when the birds started roaming around and the family eventually dispersed in the course of July. Post-fledging activities of Ravens were largely directed away from the Goshawk nest site, but some prey remains underneath the Raven nest suggested scavenging of Ravens at plucking posts of the Goshawk (pigeons, Jay). Other prey items were remains of Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, invertebrates (various beetle species), egg shells and kernels of berries. The Goshawk pair raised two chicks, and only enlarged their near-nest activities in space (plucking sites) after the Ravens had left the breeding site. The occasional foray in the direction of the Raven nest resulted in strong vocal alarm of the Ravens. In 2022, Ravens commenced nest-repair and laying, but the nest failed in the early nestling stage. Of the nearby Goshawks, no activities were recorded.