Robins!!!

[Dave S]

I don't have any pics but got to see my first robins of the year. We don't have any that winter around here so today's sighting was a bit of a shock to see them back this soon. Has anyone else been seeing any or other early sighting's of other species?

Spring is almost here

[MN Shutterbug]

Spring is almost here? Yeah, right.

Actually, I saw one come thru my front yard about 3 weeks ago. I was a bit surpised, especially since he was alone. He must have been loligaggin in the fall and missed the plane.

[Chad Peterson]

That is a good sigh when robins come back. It looks like a early spring. I have been waiting to see our first, but it will not be long.

Sniffer

[Dave S]

As I look out the window, I have several sitting in the trees in the back yard. There was 4 in the group earlier today.

There had to be atleast a dozen. They scattered in all directions as soon as I stepped through the door.

[Red_Dog]

Ive been seeing a couple outside the factory doors at work when I leave for the last couple of weeks...what in the world is going on was afraid to tell anyone, figured they'd want to give me a Psyche or drug test

[EBass]

Some Robin's stay here all winter.

[Steve Foss]

Some Robin's stay here all winter.

Yep, they're mostly fruit/berry eaters in winter. Many winters we have them here in Ely. I saw a few last week eating crabapples with the pine grosbeaks and waxwings.

[reinhard1]

i'll take your word for it but i have never seen a robin in the winter. of course i haven't excactly checked everywhere, but i do have feeders out there in my backyard and so far 0. good luck.

[Dave S]

We have several crab apple trees in our area but they just don't stick around. They sure seem to be coming back in force now. Hopefully that warmer weather is soon to follow.

[Steve Foss]

i'll take your word for it but i have never seen a robin in the winter. of course i haven't excactly checked everywhere, but i do have feeders out there in my backyard and so far 0. good luck.

You won't find them at backyard feeders unless you have some sort of fruit/berries out for them, or waxworms or mealworms, etc. They are generally hanging around in crabapple or mountain ash trees and eating fruit. Usually they are in groups. I often see 4-10 robins together eating in the trees. They move on to other trees once they finish one off, so while people think it's robins coming back for the spring once they see some, it's really just the birds moving into a new area where there's food.

[reinhard1]

thanks. all these years and it took HSO to educate me along with you. thanks again. good luck.

[DonBo]

There's several that winter near us in the metro. Like Steve said, they're in the crab apple trees often with waxwings.

Funny story, late one winter there were HUNDREDS of them in a neighbors apple tree. An older lady parked underneith it. Naturally she had just washed her car. You should have seen the cuss wirds flying out of her mouth when she saw what all those birds did to her nice clean car.

[WDH]

robins love peanuts. I make a mix of 50% of white millet and 50% peanut hearts & chips. All of my ground feeders love this mix. The big surprise was all the robins under the feeder eating peanuts.

[Steve Foss]

WDH, hadn't heard that one about robins and peanuts. Thanks for the info!

[Scott M]

Saw my first robin on Tuesday morning. We've got scores of Canvasbacks, Bluebills, Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, Goldeneyes, Canada Geese, and Great Blue Herons around Waterville. Looking like spring is coming if we can shake off this 12 degree weather stuff.

[pureinsanity]

I saw 6 swans flying over me yesterday on my drive home!

[Dave S]

Just North of Cleveland on CR15, there was approx. 75 swans in the field/water puddles last weekend.

[Hookmaster]

I've lived in MN my whole life and the first wintering robin I saw was after I moved into my present house. The back boundary of our lot is a spring fed creek that usually stays open all winter. Towards our house from that are a few crab apple trees. On calm sunny 15-20 degree days in the dead of winter there can be 50-70 robins around the creek bathing. Quite a sight!