A "Murder" of Crows...

Yesterday as I was doing my "power hiking" exercises up and down the driveway here at home in Cloverdale, Northern California, I noticed all of the birds making a loud fuss kind of like they were doing the other day when the red-tailed hawks were circling (see my article Lizards and Waxwings and Hawks -- Oh, MY! ) but, when I looked up, the hawks were nowhere to be seen...

However, swirling around overhead -- just like the unsettled clouds -- were what looked to be at least 50 crows!

The longer I watched, the more crows showed up!

A group of crows is called a "murder" and, from the way all of the other birds were acting, I'd say there's probably more than just a little truth in that title...

All those crows, of course, drew the immediate attention of our ever-watchful "neighborhood look-outs", the little Allen's hummingbirds:

And sure enough got the oak titmouse's "dander up":

(Look at that cute, little "topknot"!!)

Pretty soon, the red-tailed hawks were alerted and came to check out what was going on:

(Both the male and female red-tails came out but, I only caught a photo of one of them.) I think they might have a nest of babies nearby because they were sure upset about those crows...

Whenever there's some kind of "avian threat" in the neighborhood, it seems like quite a few of the local birds (like the "dark-eyed junco", below) seek refuge in the oak tree in front of our house. It's almost as if they think their "human neighbors" might offer a little protection somehow... (I'd like to think that, anyway...) ;o)

Then I spied a bird there in the oak tree that I've never seen before! (Or... At least, if I have, I don't remember it...) He had black, grey and white striping on his back and wings and bright, bright yellow under his chin and on his rump, a white breast with dark spots and a little "bar" of bright yellow on each wing!

Judging by the "messy" appearance of his plumage, he looked to be "moulting" (probably getting ready to don his spring "mating" feathers!) so I checked the book on wildlife that I have here at the house and also with a couple of online bird sites.

The picture of a "yellow-rumped [or "Audobon's") warbler" came the nearest but I'm still not exactly sure what species he is...

That "scissor-like" tail with the two enormous white spots underneath should make identifying him easy but it may be that he doesn't really HAVE a "scissor tail"... It could be that it's like that just because he's moulting. I don't know... 

I'm going to have to do some more research and see if I can find out.

Well, eventually, the "murder" moved on and the "avian alert system" went to "stand down"...

Until the NEXT threat in the skies over Cloverdale comes along, I suppose...