more on crows and woodpeckers

I think I received more responses to my Crow Love blog than any other post to date! I had suggested that Fish Crows on Eastern LI tend to breed in isolated pairs away from the coast. The gist of most of the crow correspondence was that Sag Harbor -- assuredly on the coast -- is overrun with Fish Crows, apparently centering on Havens Beach where they have replaced the local gulls as scavengers. I have actually seen such a large gathering of Fish Crows in Hampton Bays -- not near the ocean or bay but at the Suffolk County Water Authority property around the water tower where the Ravens have bred; this is just south of the Hampton Bays LIRR station and near the local parking lots and shopping malls. But, in my experience, the Hampton Bays flock-up is a summer phenomenon.

I don't think any of these observations are contradictory. Fish Crows, like American Crows, would tend to flock up after breeding season in or near favorite feeding areas and also in preparation for moving on as migration season approaches. Fish Crows are basically a southeastern species and have expanded their range to the north only recently and they have a tendency to withdraw from the northern parts of their range (although, as the climate warms, this may change). I wonder if the big Sag Harbor agglomerations are there during breeding season and if they remain all year; I would assume that any birds hanging out through the spring would have to be non-breeders.

Fish Crows, like American Crows, are supposed to be semi-colonial in their breeding habits but, in my experience, the LI birds breed in isolated pairs (and away from the water). I'd be interested if anyone had evidence to the contrary. Also, in researching all of this, I found a fascinating difference between the nesting habits of American Crows and Fish Crows. Young American Crows tend to hang around their birthplace and help out with the family chores for a few years before setting up on their own. This accounts for the fact that an area like ours, with only two or three Am Crow nests, always seems to be hosting a bigger crow colony than is actually the case. This doesn't happen with Fish Crows and apparently all the local young Fish Crows that don't have a mate go off to Havens Beach on Spring Break to party.

Woodpecker drumming continues apace: two or three Downies as well as Red-bellied and N. Flicker. Yesterday afternoon I saw a family group of three Downies: male, female and youngster, the latter identifiable by a red forehead, a feature that disappears in the adults; adult females have no red at all, males only a red spot on the nape (the red forehead of young Downies is not illustrated in many of the field guides although it is a feature of both fledgling Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers). Downies, being year-round residents, can get an early start on breeding and the active drummers are actually late contenders (or second-nesters).

Cedar Waxwings have shown up in small numbers. The Waxwings, along with the American Goldfinches -- also present in small numbers -- are our latest nesters, waiting until their food resources peak in the full blast of summer.

Eric Salzman