Feb. 5, 2026 under clear skies, calm winds, 16°F; sunset time at 5:03 PM

Following a nearby Essex County Greenbelt Association talk, a short but rewarding Crow Patrol stop offered a quieter look at the roost as winter numbers begin their seasonal taper. Initial stops focused on the south end of the bridge and continued along the stretch bordering the Lawrence Experiment Station and Rowe Street. Crows were already perched in trees and notably subdued, with very little vocal activity. From the south end of the O’Leary Bridge, scanning westward revealed only a small number of crows remaining on the river ice near the shoreline, far fewer than during peak mid-winter evenings.

Attention then shifted to the trees lining the south shoreline. Here, larger groupings were found tucked into the middle and upper canopy levels behind the Experiment Station building. Crows were settled and largely stationary, with minimal reshuffling, confirming the roost was already well established for the night by the time of observation. This aerial thermal image was captured int he Iron Red color palette.

Aerial views confirmed crows densely perched in riverside trees, framed by snow-covered ice on the Merrimack River below. The imagery highlighted both the elegance of the setting and the changing season.

Overall numbers appear to be just starting to fall off, entirely consistent with early February patterns. Calm conditions, crisp air, and excellent visibility made for great views despite the quieter evening.

For the 2025 National Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for the Andover Circle (MAAN), the dedicated crow roost count totaled 14,025 crows, including both American Crows and Fish Crows. By comparison, the Andover Circle crow count was 12,550 in 2024 and 11,600 in 2023. Many thanks to Mark Morroni and Donna Cooper, who coordinated and compiled the Andover Circle CBC this year. Craig serves as the designated sector leader for the Lawrence winter crow roost count.

The counting methods developed by the Crow Patrol for the Lawrence roost were formally reviewed and approved in January 2021 following a detailed evaluation of field notes, images, and group discussion with Wayne Petersen, New England Regional Editor for the CBC, with full support from Geoff LeBaron, National Director of the CBC, and Donna Cooper as local compiler. After this comprehensive review, the 2020 CBC American Crow count was finalized at 15,200, a figure fully supported by field documentation and consistent with long-term observations by experienced local birders.

Building on guidance from the National CBC leadership, we now use enhanced, field-based counting methods tailored to large winter crow roosts. These include multiple direct block counts of birds in flight, during staging, and once perched, conducted entirely on foot around the roost. Counts are later cross-checked using still images and video, supported by modified open-source counting software. This multi-layered approach significantly improves accuracy and repeatability. A detailed overview of these methods is available in the Winter Crow Roost Counting Guide (PDF) on the main page.

All images are captured using professional low-light mirrorless camera systems and fast-aperture lenses, allowing for reliable documentation under the very challenging lighting conditions at dusk and after dark typical of winter crow roosts.