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. ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]