The crows have always been here, at least for the last 150 years. We know this from a center page engraving in Harper’s Weekly (August 6, 1887). It features a ‘murder’ (yes, that’s the collective noun!) of crows circling over Lobster Cove. It was drawn by Harry Fenn in a series called ‘Around Cape Ann.’ The offspring (we’d like think) of those crows are still here.
About five years ago, many of the crows were killed by the West Nile Virus. We found their bodies all over the place, and dutifully reported the dead beasts. But it didn’t kill all of them.
Lately I watched as the crow population has not only surged, but the beasts seem larger than usual, and more aggressive. They are dive-bombing and hassling the squirrels in ways I cannot remember. I was wondering whether this is what happens when you lose many members of your species after a virus has ravaged the population.
The ones we see now survived the onslaught, as their average lifespan is about 13 years or so. Are they stronger than the lost family members? Darwin would say yes. Were they also more aggressive? My own eyes tell me yes.
And now it is our turn. I wonder if the crows are watching us, and in their own caw-caw language contemplate what they see below them, and ask themselves questions like, how will these humans emerge from their virus episode? Will their survivors be stronger, like us? Will they be more aggressive, like us?
I think they’d be wrong. I have seen so many instances of generosity, from companies to their customers, from total strangers to total strangers, from all those critical workers to their fellow citizens. It’s true I have also seen instances of aggression that I could not have imagined when the crows started dying, but these are far outnumbered by the acts of goodness and generosity.
I’d like to think that we are not at all like crows.
Sylvia's Journal 
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