Off and on the last few weeks I've been working a bit out of my usual Everett-Snohomish habitat. I've been driving to work to a job in Bothell.

Tonight I was headed North on the Everett-Bothell Highway around 4:30, near dark-o-clock given the low dark clouds. As I was headed North, I noticed Crows headed South. Lots of Crows, hundreds, mostly flying in dense narrow bands just to the East of the Highway. What was particularly interesting to me was how low they were flying. I've watched roost commuting Crows for years in various places I've lived in Western Washington, and most of the time they seemed to be flying moderately high, if not very high (as when I lived on a farm just South of Sumas). These Bothell Crows were mostly less than a hundred feet up, often low enough that they had to rise up over the taller buildings in this general mini-mall habitat. I passed this stream for 3 or 4 miles, till it was getting too dark. The Crows may have been having the most fun of anybody in a mini- mall all day. It looked like it to me.The last two Crows I saw, were silhouetted by the lighter sky to the west - they were flying much slower than the others. Slowpokes, or rear guard? Who knows.

So, watching this fun commute made my trip funner too. The Crows with their cooperative flight plan (to the Roost!) got to bypass all air traffic controllers, stop lights, traffic jams, etc. Although there were many more Crows commuting along the road than cars, the birds made a better job of it. According to media reports we're supposed to be the most intelligent life-form on the planet. But sometimes you gotta wonder.

Jeff Gibson
commuting to
Everett Wa