Fish (and Some American) Crows in Bethesda / Chevy Chase, MD, Jan. 2023

[Daniel Parker]

Hi all,

I am new to this group and relatively so to the area. Most every morning, typically within the 7:00 to 8:00 hour (give or take a little), the area near the apartment where I am staying becomes full of Fish Crows. It seems from the calls that most of the birds are indeed Fish Crows, though I have noticed the occasional American among the flocks. After that hour, the crows seem to vanish and I hear nothing for essentially the rest of the day.

I am staying in Bethesda very near the border of Chevy Chase, and I am wondering if there might not be a crow roost nearby, and the reason they show up in the morning is that they are dispersing from a roost site to foraging areas. From some online searching, including in a conversation in this group 2 years ago, I have heard about roosts in Rockville and in D.C. proper. Is it likely that the flocks originate from one of these, or does anyone know of a closer roost? If so, I would like to find it - I have heard about these huge gatherings but have not personally witnessed one yet.

If anyone knows of roosts in Bethesda or Chevy Chase and can advise I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

DanielHi all,

I'm new to this group and relatively so to the area - I am on a long-term visit, but may relocate sometime.

[Alan Johnston]

Daniel,

Last winter we noticed 1,000s of crows flying past our neighborhhood (in Kensington) at around 4:30 to 5:00 pm flying to a roost.  So we just hopped in the car and followed them, and found a huge roost down Tuckerman Lane between 355 and 187.  I suggest you do the same.  If you drive up to Strathmore you will see them flying off to roost. Just follow them.

By the way, there was an interesting article in Birding Magazine (ABA) about crow roosts about a year ago, By Dana and Robert Fox.

Best of luck

Alan Johnston

Kensington, MD

[sus...@verizon.net]

Side note but relevant.  As a kid birder, I attempted to count the old roost in Rockville one evening in December of 1977.  I came up with an estimated total of 466,111 in a 3/4 mile by 1/4 mile area near where Rt 355 hits Montrose Rd.

David Gersten

University Park, MD

Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

--
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'.
To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com
Unfamiliar with a hotspot mentioned on this list? Quickly locate it here - http://www.mdbirding.com/hotspot.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maryland & DC Birding" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mdbirding+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/b10cc3ff-5c18-4af5-89cc-3fabf64df306n%40googlegroups.com

.

[Jim Felley]

In the '90;s, the Rockville roost was found on Randolph Rd, just west of 355.  I once attempted a count, of birds passing by the windows of the TGI Fridays on 355, while we were eating dinner.  A fun attempt, not science, but on that evening the count was easily in 'hundreds of thousands' range.  Over the years, the roost took several hits:  The roost's woodlot was cut down for construction of townhouses, and the roost  moved to White Flint Mall on 355.  West Nile virus decimated the flock in the early 00's.  Now that White Flint Mall has been taken down, I guess the roost has moved over to Tuckerman Rd.  

   I have to respect the crow's site fidelity!  From over 30 years of watching this roost on a VERY casual basis,  here are some observations:

   The size of the flock has never come close to what it was in the '90's.  It now seems to be in the tens of thousands,

   The roost starts to form in November

   The crows start to disperse in February and March, perhaps because that is when the American crows start looking for breeding sites.

   The flock has completed dispersed in April, perhaps because the Fish crows are looking for nesting sites,

   Pity the local homeowners!   I remember driving by Smink's gas station on Randolph Rd in the early '90's, and seeing the cars plastered with droppings!

Jim

Jim Felley

Gaithersburg, MD

[Steve Long]

I used to work in the tower building that was supposed to have been a hotel but became the USNRC Headquarters, next to the (then) White Flint Metro Station. 

From an upper floor, watching the crows flying towards the White Flint Mall on fall/winter evenings was truly awesome.  They were coming from every direction and as far as I could see a crow-sized bird in the distance on a clear evening - and I could see into Virginia.  More kept coming into sight as they came closer.  I had no way to even begin to count them, but estimates in the hundreds of thousands seems realistic.  I wondered how so many could roost in what seemed to be their destination.

Steve Long, Oxford

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/11aebca8-dc22-461a-ba48-55c8fde2a560n%40googlegroups.com.

[Russ Ruffing]

Ok I’ll chime in. I live right on the Howard and Baltimore county border and every morning and evening, crows stream over my house on their way to/from their roost or roosts in Baltimore City. In the mornings they are on a direct west path, and in the evening, it’s east. I use a clicker to count them off occasionally. My highest hourly total was in the 2,800 range. By call ratio, I would estimate 60-70% of them are Fish Crows.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/fa2e9f66-d12e-f179-7647-0b23a3542bff%40atlanticbb.net.

[Jack Saba]

Male. Near the middle of the south lobe when I saw it this morning.

--
Jack Saba
Berwyn Heights
<jlsa...@gmail.com>

[Cheryl Hogue]

I first saw the crows streaming to the roost in 1984, when I worked in the little yellow schoolhouse on Randolph Road at Rockville Pike. A co-worker and I came outside after a long shift, headed to our cars in the autumn twilight. The crows were headed to a group of trees around what is now Old Georgetown Road east of the pike. The road wasn't extended across the pike then.

Cheryl

Cheryl Hogue

Silver Spring, MD

[Matt Testa]

I can't speak to this particular flock, but I've noticed similar phenomenon in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. For the past two months I have seen hundreds of crows gather around dusk many evenings. They're a mix of Fish Crows and American Crows. Their actual roosting site might be a bit to the west but I'm not sure. Judging from the epic guano that fell in late December, I think they must have roosted on the eastern side of Mount Vernon Place at least once. Glad I park in a garage when I'm in the area.

Matt

Silver Spring 

--

-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'.
To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com
Unfamiliar with a hotspot mentioned on this list? Quickly locate it here - http://www.mdbirding.com/hotspot.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maryland & DC Birding" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mdbirding+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/cf0ba93f-716a-4457-88a4-19139b3c4093n%40googlegroups.com.