The Winter Crows in Lawrence yesterday were spectacular. As they have done in cold winters in the past, they have abandoned their earlier winter staging areas (where they gather somewhere east of the Rt. 28 bridge beginning an hour before sunset) to wait for the sun to set and darkness to set in) and even abandoned their earlier roosting spot in the trees between the New Balance Factory Store on So. Union St. and the Merrimack River.
There is a large stone dam just to the east of Rt. 28 which causes the river to slow down, widen and easily freeze during winter cold spells.
Yesterday afternoon at 4:30 (an hour before sunset) Bob and I saw ONE crow between our home in North Andover and the Rt. 28 bridge (Broadway St.) We pulled into our favorite spot, the first driveway on the northwest side of the river and looked out over the dam and the frozen river.- 400+ crows were sitting on the snow covered ice.
We then went to the Riverfront State Park at the junction of Rowe and Everett Street via the first right going south of the river off Broadway (Shattuck St.) and looked out over the river. Not too many more crows beyond the ones we had just seen. On the most eastern side of the park , you can walk right down to the river.
Then on to Eaton Street to the Greater Lawrence Community Boat House parking lot where we parked in line with the river to our left. We hit the jackpot - Thousands of crow stretched across the frozen river - some even stretching further west behind the boathouse out of sight and others gathered in the trees across the river in line with those on the ice, At 5 pm thousands more poured in from the west out over the trees far beyond the right hand side of the Boat House. They frolicked around, noisy, lifting, coming down onto the ice from the trees. Aout 5:15 pm suddenly, small groups began to stream to the east along the far shore. By 5:30 pm some began to lift off the ice.
We then drove back to the Riverfront park and parked facing the river. What a show, thousands on the ice, thousands more pouring in. They were stretched out on the river as far as you could see peppering the ice. Slowly they began to more eastward and by the time we left at 6:15 pm they were closely massed on the ice to the east nearer the dam.
Why not try to see this spectacle for yourself. Just follow these directions.
Go soon as the crows will be either moving back to the north or out to their breeding sp[ots later in March.
We are going out tonight if you want to join us.
Dana Suxbury-Fox
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