The harbinger of spring seems to be a bird that doesn't fly south... always or any more?

Feb 28th, 2022

About a month ago, a warm January day after a big snow – which was melting on the field, I saw a very large flock of robins. I think it was almost 50 full. I have seen robins in winter before, and one even clearly asked me for food after a freezing snow. But I have never seen so many. I just read (on this blog) that they are more nomadic than migratory - they follow the food, and they do flock up in winter for safety and to keep each other posted as to where the food is. We had 2 melts this January and apparently this is when worms and slugs can be found.

 

The interesting thing is though, today I just saw a big male. He flew away and came back with 2 juvenile robins and guarded them as they drank from melted snow on our black deck. I snapped a few pictures before they flew away. I did not get close so as not to scare them off.

 February 28th seems very early for this behavior. They are already nesting. According to the same blog post, if you see the immature birds with the male, it means that the female may be already on the nest with a another laying of eggs. It was a high of 34 degrees today. They can tolerate cold and eat snow in the absence of water, but that seems cold for nesting, but maybe not. Can this mean that spring is already here? Or does this have to do with warming?

~ by Kim Keown



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