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 [...]
Winter Crow Roost: eating Bittersweet!
Out on Crow Patrol, outside of my car 100% of time, taking in the whole experience including streaming, staging, and roosting activities. First stop along Marston St. to observe staging Crows that were coming in from downriver and to the east. They were perched on branches and rooftops. It was fascinating to watch 20+ Crows attack Asian Bittersweet vines [...]
Winter Crow Roost: streaming in from NW!
An exciting time lapse of the staging process! Conditions: overcast skies, wind NW at 9MPH, temp at 30F, wind chill 24F; sunset time 4:10PM Out on Crow Patrol, outside of my car 95% of time, taking in the whole experience including streaming, staging, and roosting activities. Again, met and talked with many locals who are always very interested [...]
Crow Pellets: how to dissect and analyze
Had a very nice recent visit with Tom French. Before his recent retirement, Tom served as the Assistant Director, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species for MassWildlife. Tom is going to walk us through an overview of the Crow pellet dissection process, and then he'll walk us through how he dissects an individual Crow pellet. Here is a quick look [...]