My local flocks are pairing up just like NASCAR racers did at Daytona 500.  Everything moves along faster with two.  In car racing on the new pavement at Daytona it gave us the ingredients for an exciting race.

But back to the Crows.   On my weekly rounds I noticed that the large family groups were not in their usual places.   Neither Mocha’s Family on 110th nor the Peanut House Flock (remember they had a huge crowd last week).  Then I started to notice that every block there was a pair hanging out.  They must be part of the greater groups because they begged for bread as soon as they saw me.

This can only mean that Spring is coming and they are staking out the best trees for their nests.   More senior couples get the best trees and thenew  kids on the block get the less than optimal ones.   What I mean by that is the trees that are less dense in branches and more susceptible to weather and attack from prey.

The Gimpy Bird observations continued as well.   The bird I call Ellie just north of the trail head came again for a snack.  She was one of a double pair group.  

Almost home I saw a bird with what I thought was a leg band.   When I got my binoculars on him I could see it was really a bloody leg.   Either he crossed into the wrong territory (remember the better trees above) or he had tangled with a car or got hurt during the recent wind storm.   I was glad to see he had not lost function and was still walking on two feet.

Stay tuned for nesting time.   Watch for them carrying sticks and nest stuff.  That is the best way to find where their nests are being built.   Then we can watch for the babies to arrive.