Hello Ontbirders Yesterday morning Alan Smith, Brian Ahara and I birded a number of our usual haunts in Niagara. We covered both piers at Port Weller, McNab Road, Avondale SP, most of the roads leading to the 5th and 8th pond, around St. David's SP, and back up through Virgil. In the entire morning we saw only ONE single crow. Early each morning along Hwy 406 as I drive north to St. Catharines, I am accustomed to seeing a large number of crows as they head to their feeding areas from their overnight roost. This morning I did NOT see a single crow. Clearly the West Nile virus has decimated the crow population in this part of Regional Niagara, and likely all over Niagara. We walked the half mile north from the Coast Guard Station on the west pier of the Welland Canal at Port Weller to the tip. No one will ever believe the cormorant problem. We conservatively estimated in excess of 300 Double-crested Cormorants have taken over the 8 or 10 largest trees. Perhaps 90% of the birds were immatures, which begs one to wonder if their nests were in Niagara. They clearly roost in these trees at night, and as we walked up the path, we flushed more than 200 birds that were at rest on the larger branches. On the outer edge of one tree I counted 56 birds. All of the smaller trees and the brush below these large trees were covered in white cormorant excrement. The path we walked along was also totally white from their droppings. A large circle of white was evident below each tree. Most of all, the smell was nearly unbearable. While the Coast Guard people are very unhappy about these visitors, the birds may well nest there as early as next year. When they asked how they could get rid of them, I suggested that in all likelihood the birds will migrate south over the next few weeks. They can hardly wait for that to happen. Anyone birding on the east pier will easily be able to see this cormorant activity from there. Kayo Kayo Roy 13 Kinsman Court Fonthill, ON. L0S 1E3 kayoroy@niagara.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "john black" <black@newton.physics.brocku.ca> To: <obbaatlasregion11:>; <mckenzie.salisbury@sympatico.ca>; <lrobson@sprint.ca>; <sgillis@vaxxine.com>; <kim.a.smith@mnr.gov.on.ca>; <gene.destcroix@sympatico.ca>; <drew.campbell@gm.com>; <maggie.smiley@sympatico.ca>; <geomelvin@yahoo.com>; <jjkool@vaxxine.com>; <kstoltz5@cogeco.ca>; <pat@iaw.on.ca>; <Tim.Seburn@3792ROB.cion.cic.x400.gc.ca>; <eberly@inter-pc.com>; <pgraham@sprint.ca>; <nlitwin@freenet.npiec.on.ca>; <myra.stewart@sympatico.ca>; <mjacklin@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA>; <schneiderk@EM.AGR.CA>; <jstevens@franzenvironmental.com>; "David & Elizabeth Akitt" <diabax1@hotmail.com>; <jkmills@iaw.on.ca>; <jyaki@cogeco.ca>; <irenea@vaxxine.com>; <hvanbarneveld@kwic.com>; <gordon.bellerby@sympatico.ca>; <wealthcare@on.aibn.com>; <dgmacgow@niagara.com>; <dora_rick@hotmail.com>; <dimonddk@vaxxine.com>; <kayoroy@niagara.com>; <burnscolin@hotmail.com>; <clements@iaw.on.ca>; <kboka@iaw.on.ca>; <ahowe@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA>; <gerry.brenner@sympatico.ca>; <williamsmusic@execulink.com>; <trogon@sympatico.ca>; <asmith@freenet.npiec.on.ca>; <bmiller@becon.org>; <stockton@acsu.buffalo.edu>; <featherston@sprint.ca>; <kestral@ican.net>; <mitterer@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA>; <liddell@vaxxine.com>; <mt.kormendy@sympatico.ca>; <jhooey@mail.caninet.com>; <KarinErika@aol.com>; "David & Elizabeth Akitt" <diabax1@hotmail.com>; <8trees@niagara.com> Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2002 10:07 AM Subject: Crows Hi All, Maggie Smiley tells me the crows have gone down in number substantially in NOTL. I just wondered if anyone else has noticed a dearth of crows. (There are many terms describing numbers of crows but not sure what to call missing crows.) John "Diane and Kayo Roy" <kayoroy@niagara.com>