Northern Essex Crow observation team!
A group from Northern Essex Community College made a visit to Lawrence to observe the Winter Crow Roost. Sunset time was 4:10PM under clear skies, wind SE at 3MPH and temp at 36F. The cover photo shows the large gathering of both American and Fish Crows on the extend rooftop of the B&D Advanced Warehousing facilities along Merrimack Street, [...]
Crow Pellet Anaysis
The collection of Crow pellets continues in and around the winter crow roost in Lawrence, MA. It is fascinating to look back at a pellet collection effort from last December in the same location. About 125 pellets were gathered into a number of larger zip lock bags. Each bag with collected pellets was dated. Once a sufficient number had [...]
2018 Crow Pellets!
The winter crow roost in Lawrence, MA has provided a practical opportunity to collect ejected crow pellets. Each night in the winter months, the crows gather for the overnight roost along the Merrimack River. As part of the final steps in the staging process, they are seen in growing numbers on the ground of a truck depot parking lot [...]
Crows staging on nearby rooftops!
Met Sandy Selesky in New Balance parking lot under mostly clear skies with late day haze near sunset, wind from SW 8MPH, and temp at 34F, with a wind chill making feel like 27F. We moved to South Canal Street, and observed very little action while it was still early; we then tracked and followed the incoming Crows. The [...]
Crow Patrol after dark!
Despite best intentions, sometimes it's just not possible to get out on Crow Patrol until well after dark. Made it out tonight around 5:45PM, well after sunset time at 4:11pm, and clear skies, winds from the NW 10MPH, and the temp at 30F, with a wind chill making it feel like 21F. While heading south over the Duck Bridge, [...]
Pellet casting by Crows!
At this time of year, the truck depot parking lot along South Canal St. in Lawrence, MA provides ample opportunity to collect ejected pellets from the wintering American and Fish Crows. Each morning, the Crows leave behind cast pellets from the night before. Little research is available on pellets from American and Fish Crows. From Birds of North America, [...]
Crows and Two Lights
Video by Dennis Hlynsky Recorded early November in Lawrence, MA at the beginning of the winter crow roost season. In this video American Crows and Fish Crows fly from a staging area in the the south to the Merrimack river's edge to spend the night. Professor and Dept Head of the Film/Animation/video Department at the Rhode Island School [...]
Winter Crow Roost: aerial views!
A friend with an ongoing interest in nature and landscape photography, had an opportunity to visit the extended area around the winter crow roost for some aerial photography using his drone. He is very sensitive to the issues around using a drone and disruptions to bird life, whether during breeding season, or other times of the year. During a [...]
A swirl of Crows!
Set out on late afternoon Crow Patrol under mostly cloudy skies, wind: SW 12MPH, gusts 22MPH, 40F. First observations were made from the Pacific Mills complex on north side of Merrimack River as Crows were streaming into roost; initially the numbers were on the light side; then made it over to the Duck Bridge and observed large numbers steaming [...]
Crows after dark: Duck Bridge!
Stopped by for look at overnight roost from the Duck Bridge and then South Canal Street. Weather conditions: heavy overcast skies with fog and mist, wind W at 5MPH, 38F, and timing was almost 90 minutes after sunset. After dam it is always a big challenge to make any type of size estimate of the overall roost. Overall, the [...]