Are they congregating or dispersing?

Photos taken 07/26/2008
Saw Mangled Foot and what is probably her immediate family between North "Crow Banding" lot and the Dead End.Road/Utility Shed.

I could hear and see fledglings in tree near the shed - they flew in and around it and kept begging to be fed (I assume), but I think they are capable of eating on their own now. Obviously the parents are no longer tied to the nesting sites and are branching out in search of food.



Mangled Foot is the furthermost right crow in the above pic. I think Bully boy was with Mangled foot but I am not certain. Some of the crows had darker looking feathers and others had a brownish tint to them.




One or two of the crows looked rather wet - had been fishing I guess?


This one looks like it just came in from a swim. With all the preening going on I suppose they all had been wet at some point


When I drove down Ballaine a small group of crows flew out of the campground and alongside my car. I stopped near the post office and tried to get a photo of the 2 crows with bands but only saw YellowWhiteSilver after I stopped. There were 5 crows maybe 6 following me. I felt very sad that I could not feed them .



When I stopped the car YellowWhiteSilver stood in the road! He finally came over to me and I took the photo

I tried to photograph a fledgling but they would always stop cawing when I was close enough for a photo. None of the crows I photographed had the pink rim to their beaks, but maybe at this age they only have pink inside?

In my Back Yard a group of around 12 (?) crows gathered to get food from the feeder and I again thought I saw RedWhiteWhiteSilver, however WhiteRedWhiteSilver was also there and again I did not get camera in time so I am unsure. If it was RWWS it may not have had a broken foot as it seemed partially healed - not just hanging limply. The one with a mangled foot (not "Mangled Foot") was also there and I am certain had a fledgling (or 2 or 3) with it.

The group brought several very vocal fledglings with them and several times I saw a crow feed one, but just as often they seemed to ignore them which is why I think they are able to feed on their own now. They can fly and looked like the adults- although the insides of their mouths are pink and their voices are distinctly different.