A crow crash in Norwalk and an eagle over Wilton

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 11 March 2010 11:50

Readers who get the Norwalk newspaper may be heard of the “mysterious death” of some 30 crows, found along the shoulder of the Route 7 connector to I-95 last week in Norwalk.  “People were wondering if they were poisoned,” says correspondent Diana Gray of Wilton.

But a day after a news story appeared, a witness told The Hour what had happened.

“Apparently, at 4:30 a.m., she was driving up the ramp of Exit/Entrance 2, where a flock of about 150 crows was on the road. They lifted off in front of her, just as a van drove by on the main road. Thirty of them slammed into the vehicle with such force the witness could hear it, and the van that was hit pulled over to inspect for any damage.”

Laurie Fortin of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s wildlife division told The Hour,  “I wouldn’t have expected that, but at 4:30 in the morning that sounds reasonable,” she said. “It definitely happens sometimes, but more often with other species such as starlings. [The crows] may have been focused on a food source. There’s not as much food to go around this time of year and some may be getting desperate. Also, in these large flocks, a high percentage are juveniles.”

The young birds, she said, may not be as wise as the older crows.

To me, the explanation doesn’t seem reasonable, mainly because crows are daytime birds; at 4:30 in the morning on March 1, it was dark. Hungry or not, they would not be out searching for food at that hour.

My guess is that something disturbed them in their nearby roost. Perhaps a Great Horned Owl had attacked. The flock took off in the dark, was drawn to the light of the highway intersection, and landed to wait for dawn. They were frightened again by the approaching car, and took off. Perhaps disoriented by the darkness, they collided with the van.

Sightings

Charlie Vaast of Old Huckleberry Road, Wilton, overlooking the South Norwalk reservoir, “spent an hour yesterday [March 1] watching a beautiful big Bald Eagle circling over the water. I’ve seen them many times in various animal parks and the zoo. But this was the first time in the wild. They are spectacular birds.”

Jane Schmidt of Pratt Island, Darien, writes, “A reader commented several weeks ago on seeing a number of Buffleheads. I live on the Sound and this is the first year I’ve been able to count what we call ‘Hell Divers’ on one hand.  There have always been Golden Eye, Scaup, Mergansers and others throughout the winter.  This year, not so.  We even have a shortage of Canada Geese, although I did see some Brants.  I’m not a bird person but I sure wonder why.”

Jason Kessler of Ridgefield reported March 2 that, “in the past few days, I’ve been a bit surprised to see birds I associate with spring and summer mixed in with the usual suspects of winter. A pair of Song Sparrows are disporting, and singing, amongst the juncos and White-throated Sparrows: two birds of indolent summer days next to what I consider archetypal cold-weather species.  In addition, Cowbirds, two males and a female, have been coming to the feeder, another seeming anachronism with the recent snows still piled high.” Incidentally, Jason is a filmmaker, whose work includes “Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding” (check out opposablechums.com).

Michael Sanders, who grew up in Ridgefield, lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan, keeps an eye on the city birds. “Finally saw a New York City Red-Tail,” he reported last week. “Flew by my window with a pigeon in is talons...”

Coming up

The King and the Wanderer, program by Larry Fischer, raptor expert, on the Great Horned and Northern Saw-whet Owls, Thursday, March 11, 6:30 to 7:30, $12/$10, New Pond Farm, 101 Marchant Rd. Redding, 203-938-2117

Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings, author and wildlife rehabilitator Suzie Gilbert, Saturday, March 13, 2 p.m., free, Saw Mill River Audubon, at Ossining Public Library, 914-666-6503, sawmillriveraudubon.org

Bird House Workshop, bluebirds, wrens, swallows, owls, Saturday, March 13, 2 -3:30 p.m., Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP 203-869-5272 x221, Greenwich.audubon.org.

Hummingbirds: Our Feathered Gems, with Gina Nichol, Sunday, March 14, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, 203-869-5272 x230, Greenwich.audubon.org.

Connecticut Ornithological Association annual meeting, four top speakers on all things ornithological, Saturday, March 20, 8 to 4, Chapman Hall, Middlesex Community College campus in Middletown, ctbirding.org

Woodcock Watch, search for one of the rites of spring, Saturday, March 20, 6:45-7:45 p.m. Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP 203-869-5272 x221, Greenwich.audubon.org

Copyright 2010 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.

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