Serenaded by a Murder of Crows

Thirty-two crows squawked in a cacophonous uproar as they settled in our backyard maple, then rose in unison and flew away. It was 7:24 AM on January 1st. They were our first birds of the new year.

thirty-two crows sitting in the branches of a winter maple tree

In birding circles, they say the first bird you see in a new year sets the tone for what follows. Anything can be meaningful if you see it as a sign. -- Tove Danovich, Orion Magazine

Sherpa and I had settled in the room we call the “gray room” — a multipurpose guest room/sitting room that happens to be painted a warm dove gray. We engaged in our morning rituals — coffee, Wordle, and birdwatching. With binoculars in hand and the Merlin Bird ID app open—we awaited our first bird of the new year. I expected to see/hear a Northern cardinal, a Black-capped chickadee, or perhaps even a Dark-eyed junco — they are typically the day’s first birds. But today they were easily overshadowed. At precisely 7:24 AM, our quiet morning was interrupted by the boisterous chaos of a murder of crows!

We are only a few days away from embarkation and our long-awaited world cruise on the Seven Seas Mariner. Since birdwatching has become a part of our early morning ritual — 263 continuous days of submitted checklists on eBird, 645 completed checklists, and 175 species of birds seen since we began amateur birdwatching last May — it seemed only right that we’d look for an oracle of fortunes for our upcoming travels via the backyard birds.

Checking out the symbolism of an American crow, and more specifically a murder of 32 crows, I’ve culled a bit of advice that my crow visitors might offer:

• Wisdom – Crows are symbols of wisdom. They can represent making well-thought-out decisions and the ability to see beyond the obvious.

  • May we make good decisions in the coming year and base our actions on assessing the full picture, not simply the most obvious interpretation.

• Protection—Crows are often seen as protectors, especially in Japanese, Chinese, and British mythology, and by many Indigenous cultures of North America.

  • May we travel under the protection of all that is wise and good.

• Communication – Crows are skilled communicators. Their appearance represents open communication.

  • May we communicate with others with a sense of openness and kindness.

  • May I write these travel missives to the best of my ability and share them to the best of the WIFI’s connectivity.

• Transformation – Crows are harbingers of change. Encouragers of the “let go of the old and embrace the new” philosophy. It’s so appropriate that our New Year’s first bird sighting — a murder of 32 crows — arrive as we are ready to leave our established home of 39 years and board a ship that will take us around the world for 5 months!

  • May we embrace the New Year with enthusiasm, curiosity, and an open heart.

• Mystery – Crows are mysterious birds — intelligent, curious, and intuitive… and other-worldly.

  • May we welcome the opportunity to see the many parts of the world we’ve only read about and imagined with curiosity, compassion, and open minds.

  • May we cultivate a sense of wonder as we wander!

We hope to continue our daily birdwatching while we are on the ship and as we explore ports of call on five continents. It seems only fitting that a murder of crows chose to send us off with their raucous serenade.