NORWICH – It’s almost that time of year again when thousands of American crow specimens typically invade the city during the early morning and late evening hours of the day and city officials are once again attempting to devise a plan to drive off the pesky avian intruders.

This isn’t the first time city leaders have tried to get a jump on what some local residents are calling the “season of the crows” – the birds’ occupation of downtown generally runs from early October through late March – and Mayor Joe Maiurano said there’s no guarantee this year’s plan of attack will work any better than those implemented in the past.

“We’re going to try to do everything we can to drive the crows away but they’re very, very smart birds,” stated Maiurano, who added the goal is to force the birds completely out of the city, not just to another location. “Even if we’re successful this year, we can’t be sure the same plan will work next year.”

In the past, city officials have tried everything from hiring Madison County Master Class Falconer Lorrie Schumacher to arming local handyman Warren Bates with a laser pointer to chase away the crows, all to no avail.

This year, the city has procured a professional CD recording, “CrøwAway,” which contains audio samples of crows in distress and the calls of various raptors which prey upon the American crow.