There has been nothing terribly unusual out here on Flint Ridge in western
Muskingum County, but the march of the season continues, with an occasional
noteworthy moment or two.

A very large (for here) flock of crows, my estimate is 300 - 400, has been
making daily excursions through our fields and forest, sometimes
Hitchcockian in the magnitude of the visitation. It's quite a spectacle,
not the size of some other winter flocks I have seen, but definitely
impressive, and a new phenomenon for our neck of the woods.

Today's freeze and snowfall marks the first time this year when small
numbers of juncos are on the ground under the feeders. It has just been
individuals up to this date. They have been around in the fields since
October, but they always seem to exhaust the weed seed resource (or
something) before they switch to the feeders.

This morning we had a Cooper's hawk perched on the fence next to the set of
feeders by the driveway. As befit the moment, there was nary another bird
in sight. Everyone took cover. The hawk was a large individual, which I
would reckon was a healthy adult female.

A solitary grackle has been visiting the feeders today as well, not rare,
but seldom seen in these conditions at this season. It doesn't seem to be
part of any larger flock.

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County

---

PS:

On a different subject, knowing the diversity of subscribers to this
listserv: Does anyone have experience with the reaction of deer to human
song? Jane has been singing to deer lately during hikes on our property.
Her vocalizations have elicited what seems to be curiosity on the part of
the cervid audience: no knee-jerk flight response, cocked heads, some even
stepping closer to investigate. Maybe it's the mammalian equivalent of a
response to pishing.

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