A large flock of migrating robins came through our yard today– at least several dozen, they were impossible to count over such a large area. Can you count sixteen in the photo? I’m always happy to see them, as it means spring really is just around the corner!
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Eliza Waters 
Lots of Robins and lots of Maple Tree Sap Buckets! 🥞, blueberries & maple syrup….and hopefully 🥓 & sausages!
Ooh, I know what I want to make for breakfast tomorrow!
Well said Alice!
That’s encouraging!
It really is! 🙂
Though they are having a chilly welcome. The windchill tonight is well below zero. Reminds me of that children’s poem: The North Wind Doth Blow
The north wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will the robin do then,
poor thing?
He’ll sit in a barn,
And keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing,
poor thing!
We have had robins for a while now. They always come a bit too soon and get caught in awful weather. We’re predicted to have snow on Monday! It’s early yet, so predictions range from 3-13″ with the NWS leaning to 7. I don’t mind anything under 8. More than that is inconvenient, but when it snows in March, you know it can’t be around for long! I counted 14 robins. I hope you heard them chattering. They have a lot to say.
It is hard to see in the photo because they are small and oak leaves can look like them, too. There are sixteen (two are close together). 🙂
I’m hoping that the storm passes off to our southeast and stays along the coast. We’ll never know until it happens! I try not to get too excited as they often are way off in their predictions. I’ll make sure I have the essentials – plenty of wood and tea. 😉
Now that sounds good. And one of the comments made me decide on pancakes for breakfast tomorrow!
Wonderful sign of Spring!! ☀️🍀🌿
Yes, it is! 🙂
Very pretty and quite different to our European robins, ours are loners who fiercely fight over their territory in spring.
They are nearly double the size of your robins, one of our larger songbirds. The males migrate together in spring and the females follow later. Once they get to ‘home’ they establish territories and are not so tolerant!
Happy for you Eliza that spring approaches. I was curious about the robins’ choral voice so googled Cornell and found the recordings ‘cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily ….. a harbinger of optimism 🙂
Yes, I love to listen to them in the warmer months. They comfort and cheer!
Lovely to witness this Eliza, enjoy a nice day 🙂
Thank you, Agnes! Hope you are enjoying your springtime.
We have had lots of robins here all winter eating our wild apples, sumac, and other seeds. I will be curious to see if more come along and to see if our resident population stays.
I often wonder if the robins we see in winter are from far northern flocks that leave in spring or are they truly ‘residents.’ I wonder if it has ever been studied? Good Cornell Lab question. 🙂
Here’s some info on the topic: http://maineaudubon.org/blog/2015/02/its-winter-in-maine-why-do-i-see-robins-and-bluebirds/
Thanks!
Interestingly, we had hundreds of waxwings last winter and few robins. This year we hardly saw any waxwings but had large robin flocks. Both winters, we had a small flock of bluebirds (a dozen or so) hanging around and checking out summer nesting boxes. I suspect the bluebirds are residents.
I expect they are adapting to the changes and winter food we provide in the landscape. All of the birds you mentioned I’ve seen mostly feeding on multiflora roses & bittersweet, along with holly and winterberry and other natives. Evolution in progress!
One of my favorite birds. 🙂 So glad to see your signs of spring, Eliza. We’ve had large flocks of robins in our yard, too. We should start seeing the Laughing Gulls soon.
C’mon, Spring! 🙂
Now that’s a promising sight!
We’ve had grackles and red winged blackbirds show up, plus a few turkey vultures. They’re not as pretty but I know winter is on its way out when these guys show up.
It helps when the temp is 5F with a windchill well below zero, AND a blizzard is predicted. 😉
I always love the return of the robins in the spring. I’ve been cooped up indoors since my surgery, so I haven’t noticed any here yet, but my sister said she had a flock of them in her yard the other day. So wonderful! I’m afraid to get my hopes up for spring just yet though as we have snow in the forecast today. Wishing you a beautiful Sunday Eliza. ❤
Thank you, Julie. Hope yours is a speedy recovery – sunny, warm days are heading your way!
Thanks so much! ☺❤
I love how they are almost lined up evenly in the yard!
I’ve been seeing them here for a couple of weeks – and even better, they showed up at about the same time as our Red-Winged Blackbirds, who are all over the place. It may not feel like spring here, but it sort of looks like it and it definitely sounds like it!
Even though still it feels like winter, these birds tell us a different story!
I’m always fooled when I hear robins mentioned into thinking they are the native European robin, silly me. Your bird is very handsome.
Thank you, Christina. These fellows looked plump and well-fed. They had a successful winter down south, it appears!
We are inundated with a flock of red wing blackbirds right now.It doesn’t feel like Spring, but the birds always know!
Yes, they do – thanks, Val!
To heck with the predicted snowstorm on Tuesday. Spring. Is. Here.
🙂 Yes, ignore that man behind the curtain! ;D
So different to our European Robins 🙂
Yes, the only similarity is the red breast. These are much larger. Do your robins migrate south?
No, ours stay put and are pretty territorial. Even in the winter if there is one feeding on a bird table it will always chase others off!
Feisty little spitfires!
🙂
I saw a huge flock too Eliza so many in fact I could not count them all. I never have seen such a huge flock before. 💖
I love it when they just descend out of the heavens. Their message so eagerly awaited!
They you are very different to our robins, they are more like what we call field fares or red wings, members of the thrush family.
Yes, they are thrushes. Their cousins are bluebirds and wood thrushes, that have the most melodious voices.
They surely are!
Si, gracias, Maria!
Good sign indeed! Lovely shot.
Thank you, Belinda!
What a welcome sight! I hope the storm I heard was sweeping through the northeast missed you.
Due to snow all day tomorrow, a real blizzard, with up to 17″. March still has a few more gifts in store, I guess! 😉
They must have arrived from CK Eliza! The large flocks here have moved on. What a welcome sight!
It really is exciting to see them gleaning the yard. Helps me laugh at tomorrow’s blizzard. Whatever comes, won’t last. 🙂
I hope your still laughing!
It’s like Nature hit the ‘Start Over’ button! ;-D
You have the best sense of humor Eliza
🙂 Better to laugh than cry!
Do you think the migrating habits of robins have changed? I have seen them in the winter often … in Colorado and Back East. I saw a small flock in the middle of February and spring doesn’t arrive here until April.
While nomadic winter flocks have always been seen sporadically all along, I think milder winters and an increase of fruiting plants provided by suburbanization has led to an increase in sightings.
They are the most vigorous visitors to our bird bath…so entertaining.
I would expect so. We have a stream nearby and every so often I see a bird bathing. Water goes everywhere!
I have only seen a couple Robins. I have a lot of Cardinals and Blue jays visiting my yard. I have them though out the winter but have a lot more recently.
Hope they return soon!