American crow.
They gather at Beech Hill every year at this time, the October convention of crows. I’m sure someone has studied the reasons for these fall gatherings, has offered up hypotheses, has a pretty good idea of what’s going on—but I haven’t searched for answers. I merely stand and watch and listen and come up with magical stories of my own.
After a kind of odd and trying—if beautiful—day, Jack and I hit the hill as usual. I heard the crows from way down in the parking lot. As we reached the sloping southern hillside, you could see them poking their heads up above the barrens. They hunkered down in the blueberries or perched low in red sumac, then they’d all take wing at once, with an audible swooshing sound, and circle away a bit, then alight again.
Triad.
As we stood there, dog and I, I could see individual birds approaching from afar, flapping toward the crowd, calling one of several identifiable vocalizations—caw caw caw, or cah-cah-cah-cah-cah, or cluck-cluck-cluck—and then were liable to dip suddenly straight down toward the group before rising again, then dipping again. Other birds would rise in twos and threes, chasing in tight circles as if dancing. Always calling, back and forth, making statements, announcing their presences, scolding, beckoning. Communicating somehow.
And off in the colorful hardwoods beyond the convention of crows, croaking as if in laughter, I heard a raven.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Eastern bluebird (v)
2. Yellow-rumped warbler
3. Black-capped chickadee**
4. American crow*
5. Downy woodpecker
6. Northern flicker
7. Common raven (v)
Elsewhere
8. Blue jay (v)
9. Herring gull
10. European starling (v)
11. Canada goose
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Canada goose, common raven, downy woodpecker, European starling, herring gull, northern flicker, yellow-rumped warbler
