Now is a very active and interesting time for bird migration. First, I had a visit from Brewer's black birds. Common grackles should have been with them but were absent. Then, I had robins preparing for their trip.
I can't miss out on commenting on the crows I'm sending south!
Crows start their preparation for migration about the end of August and the action grows larger and larger though September. In the evenings crows fly in a steady stream. The width of the flock is narrow( about 2 or 300 m). It is a constant straggly flow of birds through the evening hours. They are flying back from the fields where they have been eating all day to a favorite roosting site along the river. When they get to the roosting site there is a fair amount of fussing around until each bird has found a roost that he?/he likes. The opposite process happens in the morning when everybody wakes up and they fly out to the fields in that continuous line of birds.
Most crows leave here about the 25 th of Sept. We still have a few left as I heard them on my street this morning.
Crows are some of our earliest arrivals in the spring. They show up about the end of March and very soon start nesting. They spread out in the summer and then form these huge flocks in Sept.
It's an interesting time to watch crows. Now I know some of you will not like seeing my crows arrive on your doorstep. However, there's nothing I can do about it. They have to eat.
As with the robins, we always have a few crows that over winter here . We always count crows in our winter bird count.
So look after my crows this winter and keep them healthy until they return to me in the spring.
Our crows stick around here all year long! I guess there is a lot of food for them...Some people are calving right now. Then we start Jan. 30th. Lottsa food!
ReplyDeleteCrows are tough birds. There must be little snow in your area so that there is bare ground and they can find food.
DeleteThis is interesting I didn't realise that crows migrated. Ours stick around but then we don't get winters like you do.
ReplyDeleteYours are different birds. Ours is the American crow.
DeleteWe see very few Crows here. None in town, but there are a few around the countryside.
ReplyDeleteYou need some more trees!
DeleteWe have crows about 9 months of the year. This year they are eating all of our figs!!
ReplyDeleteThey know the good stuff to eat. If I was there I'd probably take your figs as I really like figs. Well, no I don't steal.
DeleteI'll be keeping my eyes open for them. I'm pretty far north, also, so I may be watching them fly on by.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what flight patterns they have when they are travelling. I'd never thought about that.
DeleteOur crows don't leave, they like the summer and winter here and they are with many!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that we always seem to have the same family of crows and generations ever expanding here all year round. They caw every morning when my neighbour doesn't get feed out to them. I think every year there is a handful that stay, for I do hear them and I think when the weather gets bad they hide in olde brown's barn - most of the large family leave, but I do not know much about crows, but I think the older fellas stay put?? I found your bird posts very interesting Red - thanks a bunch.
ReplyDeleteI guess your weather is just mild enough for them to over winter successfully. I am a bit of a birder.
DeleteOh Red I love our crows too and know they will be looked after by our southern friends. B
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if they stay in large flocks in the south or if they spread out.
Deletei really like crows. we keep 'em all year here.
ReplyDeleteI hope they spread out and they're not in large flocks.
DeleteI actually really like crows. They are very intelligent birds, and their behaviour is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about intelligence. They are rather aggressive fellows.
DeleteYes I'm with you on the crows. They are intelligent and always interesting. Mrs T. doesn't care much for their early morning wake up calls believing they are targeting her specifically...:)
ReplyDeleteThey also have a large variety of different calls.
DeleteMany of your crows are already here in Oregon. I don't know if they'll stay for the winter or continue south. They sure are noisy.
ReplyDeleteThere's probably lots of good stuff to eat there. It would be a bit wet for them.
DeleteOh I do not like your crows at all. You must be sending them all my way. We have one of the biggest crow rookeries in the US right here in my neck of the woods. They are messy, raucous, and nothing but a nuisance. Many residents have to carry umbrellas to avoid the crow "fallout" they drop like bombs. Our cars are covered in white and it isn't snow. The sidewalks are a big gloppy mess. They are just arriving back here for winter. I can't wait for spring to send them north again.
ReplyDeleteThat's too many crows. I think I'd be taking some action. They're not my crows as you're too far east. Mine stay on the west.
DeleteI like crows, but I don't know if they stay around here for the winter or not. I need to pay better attention! If I see any of yours, I will look out for them. :-)
ReplyDeleteHere we have to look very hard and be lucky to find crows in the winter. It's probably the same in your area. Avid birders would see them. We have lots of ravens here.
DeleteThey are suppose to bring you wisdom, but if you are near a roost they can be tough.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of folk lore about crows.
DeleteIn our part of Ontario they stay all year round. They are very bright birds but I wish they would not eat so many baby birds and eggs of other species. When you see them in early summer, you will notice they are usually being chased by a smaller bird - the owner of the nest the crows just raided.
ReplyDeleteI hate to see them raiding nests. The song birds usually go some where else to avoid crows. Thanks for visiting my blog.
DeleteOne day a year or so ago, crows decided to roost in the tree outside my bedroom window. Needless to say, I couldn't sleep until they left! But I really like crows. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't think you have as many crows as we do and they can spread out to all your undeveloped areas.
DeleteWe have them year round and thankfully only a few.
ReplyDeleteIf yours come to visit I'll be kind to them and return their noisy selves to you as soon as possible. :)
So you have residents and visitors. I think you're too far east to get any of my cows.
DeleteIt's fun sharing these critters with others!
ReplyDeleteThere's much more to these critters when you think that they also live else where.
DeleteI love crows.. very intelligent beings. I'm not sure if they'll stay around my new place or not (along with the ravens) but they stay in southern Ontario;
ReplyDeleteThat's something to crow about. :)
ReplyDeleteRed this is something I've never thought about, sure when the crows are here and flying around getting into everything I take note of that but out of sight out of mind. I notice and hear the geese, not the crows though. I'm going to have to listen and watch for this next year, if I remember. :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and blessed Sunday!
I actually love crows. They are so smart, and entertaining. I talk to them when I hear them in my garden, because I know crows learn to recognize individuals, and I want them to know I'm their friend.
ReplyDeleteI love a book by Candace Savage called Crows: Encounters With Wise Guys. :)