A "CROW" OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

"Kar! Kar! Kar!" -- the peaceful quiet of the sub-alpine meadow is rudely broken by this harsh call. Again we hear it and then, glancing toward a group of old fire killed trees we see the source of this verbal confusion -- a large, grey bird whose black wings are sharply contrasted to his lighter grey body color. In his hoarse call not lurks the suspicion of relationship to the Crow and we are not suprised in the least when we learn that this bird is in fact, related to that sagacious old reprobate of the corn fields. More -- he is known as the Clark's Crow, or Nutcracker; named after Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, who collected specimens of this bird on that famous transcontinental trip of exploration in 1803-1806.

He is the most characteristic bird of the high sub-alpine parks about "The Mountain". In fact he remains in his locality during the winter months when most of our visible summer landmarks are obscured from view. It is then that his presence is appreciated for he adds life to the snow covered hills but now when opportunities for bird study are much broader he is often considered as a "nuisance" for his entry into the field usually means a grand exodus on the part of other of our feathered neighbors. Never the less he does add interest to the region and "that large grey bird" prompts many questions regarding the natural history of the Park.