It’s occurred to me, and likely to my Crow friends too, that I have not published a Crow Post in a while. It’s time to get caught up with the Crows.

A Murder of Crows over Michigan Avenue, May 17

A small section of the Murder

I must admit I haven’t been out too much at lunch lately and when I have, the Crows have not always been around. The one day I went down early before work to see migrants back in May, I did have a small murder of Crows, if around 50 Crows can be called a small murder, as they gathered on a rooftop over Michigan Avenue and then took to the sky for a spring celebration.

Fledgling Crows, Lake Shore East Park, May 18

I saw the first fledglings in May, and then we had such changeable weather. It’s safe to assume the crows were keeping a watchful eye on their youngsters and not parading them around very much.

But last week I walked down to Lake Shore East Park with Crows on my mind and they materialized. Time to put in an order for more peanuts.

Fledgling Crow trying its wings

One Crow came and sat nearby. He settled in and I figured he was functioning sentry, but he also seemed to welcome my company as well. I think it’s my old friend Fuzzy. He sat on top of an electric box which I suspect runs the fountains or the lighting in the park.

The flower beds have all been planted now, affording more places to stash peanuts.

The problem with the Crows is they aren’t afraid of the camera so I get lazy and take too many pictures and they get lazy too…

On my way out I was greeted by a Crow at one of our favorite peanut deposit places (the distant crow out of focus, after he called in his buddies), the ledge across from the Radisson. I thought the human looking at her cell phone would prevent the Crows from landing, but they all seemed to know better than I did that she wouldn’t pay us a bit of notice.

I hope the Crows enjoyed the free Fourth of July concert last night in Grant Park. I’ll try to brave the heat tomorrow when I go back to work — we’ve finally crossed the threshold into summer weather — and see if I can hang out with them again in a shady spot. Now that the 50 pounds of peanuts have arrived.

I took the picture below of the “Aqua” building, which is part of the whole Lake Shore East complex, on a whim on the 23rd because I go by it constantly, and it was a slow bird photography day. But now reading about the rooftop gardens and the limestone balconies I wonder how many of my crows visit. Oh to be a Crow in downtown Chicago.