Three crows.
For many years I’ve marveled at how crows come in threes—and wondered why. Are they a mating pair and a young adult, their offspring? Are they siblings? Buddies? Cousins? Someone has probably done research on all this, but all I know is the crows often come in threes.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Today at Beech Hill, however, they came in a flock of several dozen. This happens in October up there, as I’ve mentioned before. This day, I heard them up there and snuck with Jack up around the curve and they all lifted off the reddening barren, their wings audible as they rose. I didn’t manage any dramatic photos, but I got one of three of them. And one of fifteen.
I also got a photo of another yellow-rumped warbler. There were more of them than crows up there, I bet.
And I happened to spot a remnant towhee scratching in the leaves beneath a trailside bush. And I heard a nuthatch. And, driving away, I had to wait for a little flock of turkeys.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee**
2. White-throated sparrow
3. Yellow-rumped warbler
4. Downy woodpecker (v)
5. Mourning dove (wingbeats)
6. Song sparrow
7. American crow*
8. Blue jay (v)
9. Northern flicker (v)
10. Eastern towhee
11. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
12. Wild turkey
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Fifteen crows.
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, downy woodpecker, eastern towhee, mourning dove, northern flicker, song sparrow, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
