At 09:33 PM 10/31/98 -0800, Michael Price wrote:

>In Greater Vancouver BC there's a *massive* pre-roost staging area in the
>non-breeding period.
>
>Ruth Taylor writes:

>>A couple of years ago, Ellen Blackstone (who loves crows) somehow persuaded
>>me (don't like crows) to visit the roost near the Montlake Cut.

Michael continues:

>Ruth, I started off not liking them either, but the more I learn about them,
>the more I watch their behavior, the more complicated and fascinating they
>become, and the more I've come to love these bright-eyed rascals (and the
>more I realise EB's onto a good thing).
>

Michael, I have truly tried to learn to like crows! :-) I read The American
Crow and the Common Raven (excellent book!) and learned a lot; I live near a
school and see lots of entertaining crow interactions over trash; I take
notes on a color-banded crow who lives near me; and I helped rescue a
blue-eyed crow that fledged prematurely from a nest downtown, even though I
got smacked in the head by one of the adults. There are many wonderful
stories about crows, and I hope some will be posted to Tweeters.
But some birds and birders are not meant to be a match. The excitement I
feel when I see a hawk, any hawk, and the pleasure I feel when I see most
other birds just isn't generated by seeing crows. But for those who get
excited about crows, the opportunities to observe are limitless!

Ruth Taylor
Seattle
rutht at seanet.com