dianed

Hood Canal (Seattle area) a couple days ago. Sorry for the grainy photo.

Seattle area, last week. I know one can't judge size well at a distance, but there are usually lots of crows around (not so much lately though) and I noticed this bird because he looked so big, in a tree where I have watched lots of crow before. (For quite a while early this summer, the crows would be mobbing in that area nearly every evening. Now, hardly see any crows around at all.) IMG_4357 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr

He was hanging out with other crows, so a crow. But the coloring - is this a leucistic crow? (Taken earlier this week in the Pacific NW) 2019_0319_11485800 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr 2019_0319_13594800 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr

Last weekend, San Francisco bay area (at Shoreline) Thank you in advance! IMG_1383 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr

I too am in the Bay Area. Yes, they should be reported. Westnile.ca.gov. Last summer, I noticed a crow that somehow seemed to be behaving oddly. A few hours later, I found a dead crow in my front yard. I reported it, and the county came a picked it up. It tested positive for WNV. Apparently if it is recent and not chewed on by other animals, they can use it. There is ongoing surveillance for the virus in mosquitoes as well, and in some areas there has been spraying done. The website lists the activity by county across the state, so you can see how often it is found in your area. I have noticed fewer jays than 15 years ago. Back then I saw them all the time, now it is uncommon. I thought for a while it was because there were so many more crows. Now, we have fewer crows and fewer jays. 😞 The best protection, for birds and people, is to be sure there is no standing water around for the little suckers to breed in.

Yesterday was unusually warm. I saw a group of cormorants, and when I looked closer at the pictures, they all had their mouths open. They clearly were not squawking - I would have heard them. A bit of reading and I learned many birds pant (and flutter muscles in the throat to increase evaporation, called gular fluttering) Nature is amazing. IMG_0098 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr

Thank you! That ring on his bill is a dead give away if I had looked at the right section in my Sibleys! Now I will forever know 😀

SF Bay area, yesterday. Just off Baylands in the south Bay. Thank you! (Not sure if I can share from flickr like before, but I am going to try.) IMG_0063 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr