For several years now, I've been noticing large congregations of crows in winter time in downtown Oakland. By large, I mean 100s, if not 1000s of birds. I seem to recall prior EBB threads about similar concentrations in the Berkeley flats. My unscientific opinion is that our local crow population is exploding. During breeding season, they don't concentrate but they are still thick in all the neighborhood trees. I know the sycamores in the Piedmont hills are thick with crow nests. I'm increasingly concerned that rising crow populations are exerting more predatory pressure on nesting songbirds. I know any raptor that crosses Oakland air space these days does so at its peril.

Bruce Mast

Oakland