[Maine-birds] Lawrence MA Winter Crow Roost Patrol

This evening (Wednesday) Bob and I took Pat Randall and her partner Michael from Watertown MA to see the Lawrence Crow Roost.  We started at the Lawrence (although it is in  North Andover) Airport where you can see a vast distance to the north and west.  I t was a cold, windy, and sunny afternoon.  Very few crows were moving towards the roost an hour before sunset. We moved to the New Balance Parking lot off of So. Union St. in Lawrence just south of the Merrimack River and saw crows coming in from the north side of the river and some from the south over the mill building to the east of us.  After a few minutes, we moved to the rut filled So. Canal St. and looked north over the truck depot north. From there you can just see the tops of many now leafless trees along the river.  Crows were beginning to assemble.  Soon we went out along Merrimack St. to Rt. 28 (So. Broadway) and went north across the river to the first pull in where you get a great look of the top of the dam, the vast river and trees to the west of us which were filling up with crows including many Fish Crows.  None on the ground tonight.  As the sun set, birds began to stream in from the west along the river and many came over to the trees on the north side.  Suddenly, vast numbers of crows streamed over the bridge so we pulled out to the north and immediately turned into the first driveway and made our way over to Pemberton Park (now filled with trailers for those still unfortunate families without gas heat or hot water). The trees along the river were filling up with crows and many were streaming over the next bridge (The Casey Bridge). The light is now beginning to fade but the western horizon still has a soft glow. Soon we moved out going south over the bridge and took the first left onto the dirt So. Canal St and back to the truck depot.  Now hundreds of crows were streaming around, many settling into the trees for the night. Our last stop was back to the New Balance parking lot where we parked and walked across the street and out onto the (Duck) bridge and looked west to the trees lining the river and marveled at the amazing number of crows filling the tree tops and many all along the branches hanging over the river.   Many were silhouetted against the light western sky. It was such a juxtaposition – crows on spindly branches, the vast river, towering old brick mill buildings and the raucous calling of thousands of crows. Soon they would quiet down and wait for sunrise. Tonight we did not even try to count them. The other night there were 7000+ coming in from the east and the last time we got a count from the west there were 3000.

 

Do plan to come – it is quite a show.

Dana

Dana Duxbury-Fox

North Andover, MA