My daughter has been visiting me from Kentucky, driving me to go hiking at the Rio Grande, and Petroglyph National Monument but she was gone yesterday, so I took my long-neglected hike up the desert ravine.

The birds were ecstatic to see me again..the greater roadrunner couple whose territory includes the Paradise Meadows Park came out and hunted insects beside me, and a male Gambel's quail flew up on the wall and strutted around in front of me.

I went out on the desert and heard the summoning call, three short notes, of the male Chihuahua raven, so I started in that direction to see what he wanted.

He was the raven who tried to bring me a piece of meat several weeks ago, and circles overhead, "talking" to me when he sees me hiking in the desert, even when with his mate.

The four Chihuahua raven fledglings were sitting on boulders in the desert ravine while the adults circled around them, calling to them, and demonstrating how easy it is to fly.

One baby raven finally launched out and flew around a bit before crash landing in the top of a pine tree, near the female adult raven.

The sun was hot, so I finally started to leave, but I heard a startled three-note call from the male raven, telling me to return. I did for a bit, but again turned to go. This time the raven flew after me, circling and "talking" to me.

Finally, I realized that he was concerned-warning me it wasn't safe on the ground because of coyotes, that I could just jump off the hillside, spread my wings, and the air would hold me up.

He then demonstrated by diving down in front of me, then swooping back up again to show how easy it was, giving the short summoning calls he used with his chicks when trying to get them to fly to him.

I almost felt like I could do it, the male raven made it look so easy, and he had such faith in me, working patiently and encouraging.

I sadly considered my spindly arms, hardly wide enough to hold me aloft, and eventually slunk on up the trail toward the house, in embarrassment.

The raven followed for a while before giving up and returning to his chicks, but about the time I started climbing the slope out of the valley, I saw a raven flying after me up the ravine.

I thought the male raven had decided to try one more time, but when the raven reached me, I saw its frightened eyes and unsteady flight and realized it was a fledgling, following me, perhaps trying to copy me.

At least the mystery was solved as to why the raven tried to feed me and keeps circling and "talking" to me.

He apparently thinks I'm a baby raven that somehow didn't learn to fly and can't get my own food, so he was trying to feed me, and warn me to get off the ground because it wasn't safe.

Photo: 6-1-19 fledgling Chihuahua ravens getting up their courage to fly, one eating a meat bribe, desert ravine near Albuquerque, New Mexico