Undoubtedly a winter non-breeder group. I remember less than a decade ago my first encounter in the state with such a group in eastern Cortland County. I realized that there were now enough ravens breeding in New York that the juveniles could find each other. Looks like that might be true in your area now.
Kevin McGowan Ithaca -----Original Message----- From: bounce-122096022-3714...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-122096022-3714...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Shaibal Mitra Sent: Friday, December 1, 2017 2:43 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L <nysbird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Astonishing High Count for Common Raven, Suffolk Co., LI Watching a Prothonotary Warbler flying around me in low, repeated zig-zags over open ground on 1 December wasn't the most unusual thing I saw this morning at the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank, Suffolk County, Long Island. Pat had seen a couple of Common Ravens before I arrived and wanted me to see them. "There's a raven," she said, "with those crows." Raising our binoculars, we came to the same shocking realization simultaneously: "They're ALL ravens!" A flock of more than 30 Common Ravens rose above the treeline to the south of property; I counted 23 at one point, and Pat counted 30 at another, but there were clearly more based on the way that portions of the flock dipped in and out of sight. One of my photos shows at least 21 in the frame. The group gradually dispersed westward and southward, but ten or more were still visible at times over the next hour or so, including when Derek Rogers stopped by to see if I was ok. Prior to this I wasn't aware that Common Ravens occurred in flocks larger than a family group, even in places where they are common (except maybe along salmon runs in Alaska), and I would have thought that 30 was about right for the total population on all of Long Island. Perhaps there is an overnight roost there or nearby, to be worked out. The statuses of Long Island Corvus have changed beyond recognition. Whereas we used to have Twa Corbies, with brachrhynchos vastly outnumbering ossifragus, now there are Trois--and nowadays a count of 30 American Crows would be quite notable anywhere on western LI. Shai Mitra Bay Shore -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
