John Kricher: social groupings and Crow Roosts?
As many of you may know, John Kricher, well known to many of you in the extended Boston area, is a Professor Emeritus of Biology at Wheaton College in Norton, MA, where for 48 years he taught ecology, ornithology, and vertebrate evolution. He's a Fellow of the American Ornithologists Union, and is past president of the Association of Field Ornithologists, [...]
Hartford Crow Roost
Conditions: mostly sunny skies at sunset, wind SW 7MPH, temp at 29F: sunset time 4:26PM While on my way back to Boston, after being in NYC for family time and Christmas celebrations, made a stopover in Hartford in search of the longstanding Winter Crow Roost. After scouting out numerous staging areas, was only able to make a few Crow [...]
Winter Crow Roost: flight show!
Conditions: partly cloudy, wind W at 3MPH, temp at 36F; sunset time 4:15PM Out on Crow Patrol for almost two hours, with initial quick stops scouting for staging areas, including top of parking garage. A few Crows seen streaming in form the W and continuing past garage complex. It was a very unusual pattern and quite different from recent [...]
Winter Crow Roost: flight action and liftoffs!
Conditions: partly sunny, wind W at 11MPH with gusts, temp at 39F; sunset time 4:14PM Out on Crow Patrol for almost 90 minutes with initial stops at regular nearby staging areas and then up to the roof of the McGovern parking garage. We had distant views of St. Patrick Parish and the tall steeple in the background. This image [...]
Winter Crow Roost: streaming and staging action!
Conditions: overcast skies, calm, temp at 34F; sunset time 4:14PM Out on Crow Patrol minutes after 4PM, for almost 90 minutes, with scouting stops at nearby staging locations. Large numbers of Crows were seen staging again in trees above and below Marston St. near major intersection near the hospital; and around O'Connell South Common as well. Next stop was [...]
Winter Crow Roost: Christmas Bird Count!
Action packed time lapse with Crows filling in the roost! Conditions: mostly cloudy, calm winds, temp at 29F; sunset time 4:13PM Out on Crow Patrol before sunset time and preparing to estimate roosting Crows for Christmas Bird Count as part of the established Andover area. Made scouting visits at many of the regular staging locations within a [...]
Winter Crow Roost: major snowstorm!
Exciting time lapse video showing Crows entering roost! Conditions: heavy overcast, light snow/fog/mist, wind N 13MPH, temp at 22°F w wind chill 13°F; sunset time 4:12PM Out on Crow Patrol at the tail end of a major snowstorm, starting along Marston Street near medical building with huge numbers of staging Crows in trees on both sides of [...]
Winter Crow Roost: the far end!
Conditions: overcast skies, wind NE 8MPH, temp at 24° with wind chill 15°; sunset time 4:12PM While leaving work from Lawrence General Hospital, to go out on Crow Patrol, observed and heard over 500 Crows in trees around one of back parking lots. Image below of these staging Crows was captured about 10 minutes before sunset time. After scouting [...]
Winter Crow Roost: arriving from all directions
Conditions: mostly cloudy, wind W at 12MPH w gusts to 17MPH, temp at 52F; sunset time 4:11PM Out on Crow Patrol for almost two hours, making quick stops at nearby staging areas and observing early build-up of incoming Crows. Lots of incoming flight action with heavy streams from NW and SW. Observed crows along railroad tracks and south edge [...]
Winter Crow Roost: tree tops!
Conditions: heavy overcast, wind SW 5MPH, temp 31F; sunset time 4:10PM Out on Crow Patrol, outside of my car 100% of time, taking in the whole experience including streaming, staging, and roosting activities. Main viewing tonight from parking lot across from the roost with views of Crows streaming into the roost and settling in for the night with lots [...]