Winter Crows

2 weeks ago by @ceilidh

Liner Notes

#crow #roost #folk #singersongwriter #winter

Last winter the crow count for the downtown Portland winter crow roost stood at over 22,000 crows, and we see them flying away from town in the morning, gathering in pre-roosts all around town to gossip and engage in aerobatics, then flying back towards town before nightfall to roost for the night. https://www.wweek.com/outdoors/2024/12/20/over-22000-crows-roosted-in-downtown-portland-last-winter-portland-researchers-find/

Demo to follow.

Lyrics

Winter Crows c. 2/03/2025 by Cecilia A. Eng

All the crows gather as day is soon done,
Telling tall tales and having some fun!
Cartwheeling mid-air then landing carefree
At the tip of each branch, like fruit of the tree.
To the wintering roost then, our murder must fly
To join tens of thousands as sun leaves the sky.
Crows in each tree, ledge, and roof by and by:
Silence at last -- as the moon rises high

CHORUS: Winter, the crows gather ‘round
From every direction they’re homeward bound.
Our nesting is done, the fledgelings have grown.
There’s frost in the wind and summer has flown.

With sunrise each murder flies out and away.
‘Tis time for some breakfast at start of the day.
Happy with bounty from nature or man,
We shout out with joy to the rest of the clan!
Sated once more, ‘tis not time to play --
We think of the future and stow some away.
There will be time enough at the end of the day
To gossip and laugh at our aerial fray. (chorus)

Oh, there is the person who brings us some treats
At the same time each day when she takes to the streets.
We're feeling quite brave and will mob a young hawk:
He may think he’s the hunter -- he’s in for a shock!
And we’ll do the same for the man who was mean:
We’ll swoop and we’ll crow as we make a small scene,
But hold on a minute -- a bright shiny thing --
A gift to collect against love in the spring! (chorus)

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