Snow Robins
Snowy weather didn't keep me from participating in the Madison Christmas Bird Count yesterday. It was relatively balmy compared to this morning's bitter wind chills, which are presently blowing past -30d. F. Though somewhat unremarkable to most birders, over 100 American Robins were reported on the Madison CBC. During a recent snowshoeing excursion through Pheasant Branch, I pointed out an American Robin perched on a snowy branch to a woman who was walking her two dogs. I wanted to see her reaction, so I said, "Hey look, an American Robin!" She responded, "Oh my, what's it doing here? It better fly south! Will it be alright?" Amazingly, some robins are able to endure Wisconsin's harsh winters. I don't know whether these are birds that migrated this far south from extreme northern regions of their Canadian breeding range, or nomadic non-migratory flocks in search of food. For more detailed information on robins during winter, check out Nuthatch's February 2006 article "Robins in the Snow" from Bootstrap Analysis blog.
All images © 2008 Mike McDowell
6 Comments:
Saw 2 different flocks of 30 Robins picking gravel on the Road berms at the Landfill next to the Casino in Green bay on Dec. 18th.
It's Spring! It's Spring!
Early last Spring (the real one) a co-irker happily declared at a meeting that Spring had truly come because she saw her first robin. I didn't say anything.
We get robins in the snow here as well (in Central PA). They often dig holes in the snow right next to the building and huddle down in them, out of the wind.
I love that second shot.
Always nice to see one of my favorites get the limelight. As always Mike, really nice photos.
The nesting Robins around my yard almost turn into pets during the summer months. I miss them in the winter when I am raking leaves because they aren’t around following me around the yard foraging for treats from my raking.
I do tend to spoil them however in the summer. I go to the local bait shop a few times during the summer and get containers of earthworms. Then when they are following me around when I am outside doing yard work or whatever, I will go in and get the container, throw a worm out onto the driveway where they can see them flopping around, and watch the fun begin.
The trick in that little feeding exercise, however, is to be careful how you toss the worm so as not to startle them with the throwing motion.
January 2009 is the first time, in some 30 plus years, that I saw about six Robins on Cape Cod foraging on my lawn for food where the snow recently melted
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