Write a column about fish, and every once in awhile, a fellow fisherman will check in (if he’s not out fishing) and tell you what he thinks.

Write a column about birds, and something entirely different happens.

Bird people, I’ve learned, are everywhere. Some put out feeders, others tromp around in swamps with binoculars and keep exhaustive lists of the birds they’ve spotted.

Others just like watching various birds fly around … and enjoy trying to figure out exactly what they’ve seen.

Each time I’ve written about birds – swimming eagles, scarce ruffed grouse and woodcock, urban ducks, or even roosting crows – the response from readers has been immediate and startling.

Birds sell. That’s all there is to it. And one bird-related column often leads to another … and another … and another.

That’s the case here, as a reader responded to Saturday’s piece on flocking crows, looking for a bit of information about a peculiar incident he witnessed this weekend.

“Saturday morning I was in the driveway with one of my dogs,” the reader wrote. “A fox ran across my neighbor’s yard at warp speed with four crows chasing him. He made it into the woods that overlook the river. Another 10 yards and I believe the lead crows would have pounced on him. [In all], there were at least a dozen crows. Trailing ones flew much slower.”

So, the reader wondered, what was he seeing? Was a pack of crows really going to attack a fox? Or were the birds just having a little fun at the expense of the solitary critter?

Again, I called Brad Allen, the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife biologist who serves as the state’s bird group leader.

And again, Allen set me straight.

“The fox might have stolen their food, and the crows might have been [angry],” Allen said. “When they gang up together, they might be chasing him down because they actually have the numbers, and they can.”

Allen explained the crows wouldn’t have actually attacked the fox.

“They’re nervous about the fox as a predator, and one-on-one, they’d be in trouble,” Allen said.

But having a 12-on-1 advantage changes the dynamic, and allows the crows to assert themselves a bit.

“I think they’re sending a message, that ‘we’re a group, and there’s nothing you can do to us,'” Allen said. “[They’re saying] ‘We’re together as a gang.'”

Allen said that’s a common anti-predator defense that might not be possible at certain times, when a single crow finds itself up against a single fox.

“When they have the numbers, they want to send that message,” he said.

Time for a ride in the woods

For many Mainers, winter provides a perfect opportunity to go for a ride in the woods.

Take a drive up Interstate 95 on a Friday afternoon, and you’ll see plenty of those folks, hauling snowmobile trailers toward northern Maine’s trail system.

There is, however, another way to take an enjoyable ride in the woods … and you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a sled to take part.

A couple weekends back, I headed to Bradley, and a place that prides itself on providing visitors a step back in time: Leonard’s Mills.

The facility, which is part of the Maine Forest and Logging Museum, offers a glimpse at a bygone era, when tough Mainers earned their livings in the woods.

On this day, the entire compound wasn’t operational – when it is, Leonard’s Mills is bustling with all kinds of living history exhibits – but a sizeable throng still walked the trails to the blacksmith shop for the day’s program.

Sleigh rides were the order of the day and, for a nominal fee, visitors hopped into large sleds and were treated to peaceful rides through the forest.

I’d never ridden behind a team of massive draft horses, but had a great time doing so, and chatting with the friendly driver as he told me about his horses and how he works with them year-round.

Two teams took visitors on their rides, sleigh bells and clomping hooves marking their progress through the woods on a crisp Sunday morning.

While the ride might have been a bit slow for those who choose to zip down trails on a snowmobile, it was perfect for me … and for the others who enjoyed the short jaunt (and the complimentary hot cocoa that was served back in the blacksmith shop).

The folks at Leonard’s Mills will stage other sleigh rides this winter: The schedule calls for rides this Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and on March 2, also from 10-3.

The program is perfect for kids; bundle ’em up, and have a great time!

jholyoke@bangordailynews.net

990-8214