Just saw a robin at the birdbath! Is it Spring yet?

Hi All,

DH just called out that there was a robin at the birdbath, and sure enough, a single bird having a drink. It is almost 60 degrees this afternoon. According to our bird record, we saw a flock of about 140 in mid-February 2008. When we recorded it on the Cornell Back Yard Birdcount internet site, a message popped up saying robins in those numbers were atypical for our zone in mid-February. I wonder if this bird knows he's either the lastest robin for 2008 or awfully early for 2009. Maybe he's a scout.

Pam

We went through this last year. LOL Often robins stick around all winter. I don't know where they hide most of the time.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Robin_dtl.html
Although the appearance of a robin is considered a harbinger of spring, the American Robin actually spends the winter in much of its breeding range. However, because they spend less time in yards and congregate in large flocks during winter, you're much less likely to see them. The number of robins present in the northern parts of the range varies each year with the local conditions.

http://www.nhpr.org/node/10278
Seen any robins lately? It's not that uncommon in winter anymore. Although we tend to think of this red-breasted bird as a harbinger of spring, many do, in fact, roam the northeast year-round.

Ornithologists believe these ubiquitous birds are not migrating as far south as they used to. The reason? Well, nothing has been proven, but it could be global climate change leading to milder winters.



Robin. (Photo courtesy Val Bell.)
Or, increasing suburbanization could be inadvertantly providing more food through the planting of more ornamental shrubs and trees. I saw several large flocks of robins in December, feasting on the abundant supplies of winterberry holly that brightened our swamps this year.

Robins, like their close cousin the bluebird, rely on fruits and berries to survive, so a good wild berry year like this past one may also convince fruit-loving birds to linger.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/unpave/robinwinter.html
Every autumn robins migrate south. We humans have an intuitive sense that the robins are trying to escape cold weather, but every winter at least some robins stay in the northern states and southern Canada. Robins have survived blinding blizzards, ice storms, and nights as cold as 30 below zero without human help. Regardless of how cold it is on the outside of their feathers, their body temperature under the feathers is about 104 degrees. How do they stay warm enough to survive? Their thick down feathers hold body heat in. They produce body heat by shivering. And they get the energy to shiver from their food.

Hart,

Thank you for all the information and the links. I don't believe I've been to the latter two sites. I'm going to try both. What you've written about the downy feathers storing body heat would explain why the bluebirds are taking baths every afternoon, even in the bitter cold weather we had last week. They hardly waited for us to get back in the house after we refilled the frozen baths. We love having so many birds here and are hoping to attract more by planting a couple viburnums and a beauty berry this spring, and hopefully some conifers and more holly. We have two evengreen wreaths on the front doors, and the bluebirds have delighted us by coming right up on the porch and onto the wreaths to get the holly berries. We can see them through the glass, but guess they can't see us inside. Very amusing.

Pam

Hi, Pam. Today certainly felt like Spring!! But my calendar says it is still December, bummer. I also read recently about robins being around all winter, though I guess I didn't take notice before because we think they're gone and won't be back until March. They can brave the cold like Cardinals, and I have been looking out for those mostly. I even heard one recently, but it moved on before I could get my camera. I love their songs: "purty, purty, purty." If you're watching the yard for birds, take your camera next time for pictures. We'd all love to see them.

One of my favorite things to do is go to a place that sells bait and get a bunch of mealy worms. I put them out in a trashcan lid for the bluebirds and they go nuts. They LOVE mealy worms.

Last time I did this I must have had 30 bluebirds feasting.

Ohhh Diane!!! I'm going to have to pick some up...Chloe would have a fit...she adores the birds!!! She'll run, grab my hand and pull me toward the back door if she thinks she hears them. I've always taken her out there to listen to them...I put my hand up by my ear and say: "Chloe, listen!" So now...SHE pulls me and puts her hand up by HER ear...I love it!!!

Diane, We should try the mealworms again. We tried them in the summer and bb's totally ignored them. I don't think they took a single one. They were the live variety rather than the freeze dried. They kept crawling out of the paper plate. Do you put many out at once or just a few? Do you put the oatmeal that they're in out too or just the worms?

Fox, We've only had one female cardinal come to the feeder, but we hear them in the spring in the perimeter of trees around the property. I don't think we have enough cover for them to come close to the house.

Chantell, How old is Chloe now?

pam

I get about four or five dozen of the fairly big, live ones, and I put them all out at once. I don't think they'd bother with the freeze dried ones. I put them in a trashcan lid so they can't crawl away. I put them in a pretty open section of grass with telephone wires or tree limbs above or close by so the bluebirds have a perch and feel safe.

The ones I get don't have any oatmeal, just mealy worms, in the container. They're a pretty good size, maybe a but over an inch to two inches long and fairly fat.

I do see them hunting certain times of the day, a lot early in the morning and late afternoon, not so much other times of the day. Maybe try to pick a time of day when you normally see them hunting.

Chantell, you should put up a bluebird house so Chloe can see them raising their babies. They have nice ones at Walmart for around $10. Be sure you get a bluebird house, the entrance hole has to be the right size. I have two, they have to be placed about 200 feet apart.

Diane, I thought my birds needed glasses, but the mealworms I got at Petsmart were considerably smaller than those you describe. I'll get some bigger ones and try again.
pam

Not that I am a bluebird expert, but they say they like a lot of clear space. I have heard 'it all depends and you can try' but I would check a site or two for recommendation on placing bluebird houses.
(magic bird hearing hand LOL)

Not that I am a bluebird expert, but they say they like a lot of clear space. I have heard 'it all depends and you can try' but I would check a site or two for recommendation on placing bluebird houses.
(magic bird hearing hand LOL)

oh, by the way, my hubby bought some safflower and some sunflower for me and stored them in my metal trashcan. Which I have used for seed several years but has not held sunflower for at least a year. Which had been untouched by squirrel for that year. Which had its lid taken off within 24 hrs of hubby putting sunflower in there, and the squirrel was snacking. He must have smelled it!!!

The bluebird houses come with instructions. The main thing is they have to be a certain distance apart to provide each pair with sufficient territory. There are height recommendations too but ours aren't as high as was recommended and we have bluebirds in them every year.

As far as feeding goes, most birds won't use a feeder that doesn't have some kind of escape hatch nearby in the way of tree branches or something, a place they can go to if a predator shows up.

OMG...could you just imagine Chloe if we had birds coming and going like that?!?!? I've got to get my butt out there and put some seed in that feeder...I slacked off during the summer b/c I couldn't get to it....was a little over zealous planting vining plants....ugh

It's so much fun to watch the bluebirds. They take turns feeding the babies and then it's such a thrill when they fledge and we get to watch Mama and Papa teach them to hunt.

They really like the electric wire that runs from the pole to the house. They perch up there and stare at the ground until they see a likely worm or bug and then swoop down and get it. That's probably where you heard the open space stuff, Sally. They like an area where theer's only grass and it's cut pretty close so they can find the worms more easily.

Hey- didja notice there's now a BirdFiles?

Sheesh...I just realized we had something called plantscout...only took 3 years - no biggie

Last year or so, my little Cub Scout built a bluebird house (with dad's help) from a floor plan they got from the Internet. It sits on the fence about 5 feet from the ground. In no time after it was installed, there was a nest of eggs in there. The houses are easy to make if you have the patience and tools.

YES!!--I noticed the Birdfiles on the last newsletter or so. Woo-hoo!! Why not? Birds are essential garden visitors.

Foxnfirefly, You are so right. Birds are essential. I love how they draw one another into the garden. We try to change the water in our birdbaths each afternoon, and the bluebirds hardly miss a chance to get in there. Once they start, it's like the call goes out, and all kinds of other birds show up to drink and bathe.