How common is this sort of event? 2,540 is a huge number of course--I've
never seen that many all together--but we've probably all seen similar
gatherings. I've usually found crows gathering like this when they discover
some poor owl and swarm around its perch all excited and cawing like crazy;
sometimes the owl flies to another location and they all follow it. But I
gather there was no owl in this case. My daughter and I were in Florida for
a few days last week, and at least 100 crows were all gathered at one
location there (around midday), but not very excited and with no owl in
sight. The same group (probably) moved about a quarter to a half mile away
the next day, but just gathered, not doing anything obvious together. Since
Bob saw this around 4 p.m., could it have been a big overnight roost? I'm
sure there must be a big roost somewhere west of Olympia, because as evening
approaches we see crows from the whole area headed that way; I've sort of
promised someone that I'll try to find the place, but I haven't had time
yet. Does anyone know more about what's going on?

Burt Guttman guttmanb at evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 360-456-8447
Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S.E., Olympia 98503


-----Original Message-----
From: Bobvanden at aol.com [mailto:Bobvanden at aol.com]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 2:04 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu; corvid at u.washington.edu
Subject: A few crows at Montlake Fill


About 4 pm yesterday, Jan. 15, there were at least 2,540 crows, as counted
by
counting numbers of groups of about 10 crows, within 300 yards on either
side
or the Ravenna Creek slough. Less than half were in trees, with the dime lot

parking lot and the baseball field and the field north of it covered with
crows.
Bob Vandenbosch