Jan. 6, 2026 under overcast skies with light snow, wind NE at 5MPH, temp 29F, hours after sunset time. This short visit took place well after sunset, with flight activity long finished and the roost fully settled. Crows were quietly roosting in two locations, the main roost by the New Balance building and a smaller group east of Route 495, offering a rare opportunity to observe the roost in its most still and contemplative state.

This first image looks southeast along the line of roosting trees bordering the Merrimack River in front of the red brick New Balance building, viewed from the park beside the Mill240 building. With arrivals complete and vocalizations reduced to near silence, the crows formed dark, sculptural silhouettes against the night sky. Ambient lighting along the river and building created a dramatic and almost serene scene, emphasizing the density and order of the settled roost.

Turning southwest from the same park location, the second image captures a long, tightly packed line of roost trees stretching from behind the truck depot downriver toward the CubeSmart storage building. This view is only possible using highly specialized low-light lenses, as the area is otherwise enveloped in darkness. The image reveals just how extensive and continuous this section of the roost has become.


The third image was taken looking due south from the parking lot at the east end of the Mill240 building, directly across the Merrimack River. From this angle, the roosting trees in front of the New Balance building appear as a dense, unified band, reinforcing the scale of the main roost even in complete stillness.


A bit later in the evening, the final image looks southwest from Duck Bridge toward the same line of roosting trees in front of the New Balance building. Once again, excellent ambient lighting outlines the trees and their occupants with striking clarity. Notably, there were no crows on the ground within the National Grid substation, and the continued presence of birds east of Route 495 suggests the roost has not yet fully shifted downriver this season. Another dazzling night out, defined by quiet, light, and the lingering mystery of seasonal change.

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.