Look! It’s a murder… of crows!

Don Congjuico & Rachel Schmid

Have you ever thought of staying on the Saddleback campus just to watch sunset?

If you haven’t, then you’ve missed out on one of the most beautiful and natural occurrences the campus offers. This is because at dusk, the orange sky swarms with hundreds of birds- crows to be exact.

Beginning in fall and ending at the start of summer, the crows flock away from campus in the early morning to find food, and they return at dusk to settle into the tall trees behind parking lot 5A. This pattern has been repeated for years here at Saddleback. It is a rewarding sight to someone whose mundane life of studying needs something interesting and fresh. 

Misty Orzechowski, a 27-year-old, fashion design major, has seen the crows descend over campus many times. 

“It’s nice that the crows have a place to go,” Orzechowski said. 

Fellow fashion design major, 24-year-old Katrina Toice hasn’t let this spectacle go unnoticed either.

“It’s really cool and really pretty when all of a sudden you see a group of crows… or a murder of crows as you put it,” Toice stated. 

Remember though that these are birds, so make sure to have some sort of cover over your head as you watch. It is known that these crows release a healthy dose of fresh droppings on the unsuspecting onlooker.

Don’t count on looking at this scene from your car either. It blocks the full range of rotation your head needs. 

Appreciate the beauty these synchronizing birds create as they fly away from the sunset. Since these are crows, expect nothing peaceful to the ears.

After a hard day of classes and long lectures that seem to go on forever, take a step back and go to the village parking lot about half an hour before sunset. 

Take a deep breath and enjoy the view with the sunset and the birds flying around. With the cold weather starting to creep up, bring a jacket or coat. Take a seat or stand outside. Anywhere is a good place to observe since there are so many of these creatures passing by. 

Then wait.

Look up and enjoy the view. 

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