Cawing all Crows

Everyone respects the intelligence and resourcefulness of a crow.  Some people just don't know it yet.  It is not their fault; they just didn't understand the mystique of the bird, until now.

 In an effort to enhance the American Crows' standing in Mansfield, Gorman Nature Center and Greater Mohican Audubon dreamed up an educational experience to banish all the ignorance surrounding crows.

          The first sampling of 45 Richland County folks to be inoculated with "crow love." 

Steve McKee offered a program about the winter roosting habits of our American Crows, starting with their collective name.  A group of crows is called a "murder".  How cool is that?  Mansfield is one of the mid-sized cities to be blessed with a mega-murder winter roost in Ohio.  This year it was estimated to number 30,000+ crows.

Why do crows roost together in the winter?  For protection and security, perhaps even for heat.  Urban areas offer a bit of ambient light and warmth. Crows gather at night, wary against their main predator- the Great Horned Owl.  To learn much more about crows, click on this Cornell "crowfacts" link which is filled with fabulous information.

 After the program, Steve lead the attendees out into Mansfield for a wild car chase- in search of crows! Irene is smiling just to have survived long enough to tell the tale!

The crow-active crowd gathers on the street.  Passers-by ask, "What's the excitement about?"

 INCOMING CROWS!

The wing beats and cawing of a thousand crows is a breath-taking sight.  The bats in Texas or Sandhill Cranes in Bosque del Apache have nothing on our Mansfield Murder.

Jan Ferrel and the JNATS (Junior Naturalists) are all over it!

As the birds settle in for the night, we mid-Ohioans counted ourselves lucky and rich in crows.




And what is the "plus" of a winter crow roost?  Besides the sight of a natural history wonder, and the resonating "coos" of a late night roost, crows do great community service.  They are the ultimate recyclers.  When the Turkey Vultures take off for the winter to seek more temperate climes, the crows remain.

Who removes the dead 'possums from the roads?  Crows do.  Who eats thousands of rodents and snakes? Crows do.  And if you stop to wonder what our world would look like with no "recyclers"  to do our dirty work, consider the crow.  And you will become a fan too.


Maybe they need a Facebook page.

Lessons from a CBC

The first place I head on a Christmas Bird Count- is for the water.  Sunrise, birds stir, and fresh water is their first business of the day.  Usually, I am waiting for them, beside this little stream. 

Fresh Water:  a guaranteed morning bird magnet.

 Only this year it wasn't so fresh.  Someone "forgot " their deer carcase under the bridge.  It looked like a scene from  "Dances With Wolves."  Unbelievable!  Who could be so thoughtless as to foul the water for everyone down stream?

The definition of a true friend: the guy who offers to help me get them out of the water and onto terra firma where crows and coyotes can get busy composting them.  And- yes.  We did it!  Somehow, in the life of an environmental activist- for once it feels good to see immediate results- something tangible for your sweat and struggles.

Next stop: Mansfield Lahm Airport and one of our resident Kestrels teed up in view of the radar tower.

 Lots of new road work being done out this way.  In fact, we have a new injection well scheduled to go in.  They will be transporting "fracking fluid" from Pennsylvania to be pumped under ground in Mansfield.  Gee, I wonder why PA doesn't want it.

Irony.  Clean Water- this is the neighbor of the injection well site.  Unfortunately, Mansfield water may not be so clean if chemicals seep into our fresh water supply.  But how will we ever know?  They are not obligated to put any tracers or marker in the sludge they pump underground. 

Maybe it is better to share our  water with those dead deer?   At least I can see them on the surface and know my water has been fouled.

Fresh water and injections wells, learn more about them in this amazing film clip The Divide on the GMAS Website.  Click on VIDEO.   It will give you a whole new perspective on the importance of our water.