1st Robin of the year

Yerterday (3/7) around 3pm, I had a Robin in the tree above my bird feeders.
I was quite surprized and thought that was way earlier than normal.
Anyone else seeing any?
Jack

We had a whole bunch here about 3-4 weeks ago after the warm-ups. Wonder what they are doing now that we have 8″ of snow on the ground.

I had a dream that I saw one last night. True story.

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I had a dream that I saw one last night. True story.

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I had a dream I got worms from eating unfrozen pickled fish…another true story.

Don’t lick your fingers.

We’ve had robins on and off all winter. I have no idea where they go to for a week at a time, but they are here then not, then here again. Been like that for the last five or six years.

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Yerterday (3/7) around 3pm, I had a Robin in the tree above my bird feeders.
I was quite surprized and thought that was way earlier than normal.
Anyone else seeing any?
Jack

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Al Gore

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Yerterday (3/7) around 3pm, I had a Robin in the tree above my bird feeders.
I was quite surprized and thought that was way earlier than normal.
Anyone else seeing any?
Jack

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No robins, but the song birds are starting to pull out the courting calls.

Ya Pug the Cardnials are up at the break of dawn and hear them most mornings, and thier loud. They usually start at the very break of any light, pretty cool to go out the door and hear a cardnial. Weve got 3 to 6 that hang around here regularily. Heard of a couple seperate reports coming from diffrent people and them seeing Robins. Rain and 40’s this weekend here and alot of 40’s all next week. Twards the end of the week a little above 50.

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Ya Pug the Cardnials are up at the break of dawn and hear them most mornings, and thier loud. They usually start at the very break of any light, pretty cool to go out the door and hear a cardnial. Weve got 3 to 6 that hang around here regularily. Heard of a couple seperate reports coming from diffrent people and them seeing Robins. Rain and 40’s this weekend here and alot of 40’s all next week. Twards the end of the week a little above 50.

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I’ve heard sporadic cardinal wake up calls. I am glad to hear that you are hearing them because it means it won’t be long up here before I hear the dozen of them within earshot calling. They give the robins a run for their money when they are ate the peak of calling at dawn.

The cool thing about our resident cardinal is he roosts in the backyard. We will have the window open and it will be dead silent until out of nowhere, he starts a singing.

Is it cardinals that like grape jelly with bird seed mixed in? Or are my inlaws messing with me?

Depends. Are we talking North or South of Hwy 8?

My Dad always said that when you see a Robin in the spring, it will get its feet in the snow 3 times.

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Is it cardinals that like grape jelly with bird seed mixed in? Or are my inlaws messing with me?

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Orioles maybe, Cardinals no. Cardinals love safflower and black oil sunflower seeds.

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Depends. Are we talking North or South of Hwy 8?

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Those darned southerners south of HY. 8

Pug I got a lilac tree just outside my window that the cardinals sing from. When they start calling its atleast 1/2 hr befor the Robins do, so its the early bird gets the worm and the first date come spring.

Down here in South/central WI we have a few Sand Hills that returned. The large flocks haven’t returned yet, but more than I would consider normal for this time of year. Funny to see them on the frozen rivers/ponds and strutting through a foot of snow.

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Depends. Are we talking North or South of Hwy 8?

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Yes…

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Pug I got a lilac tree just outside my window that the cardinals sing from. When they start calling its atleast 1/2 hr befor the Robins do, so its the early bird gets the worm and the first date come spring.

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Come to think of it, the Cardinal starts singing when it is still pitch dark out. I don’t have many robins in my area for some reason. You’d think they would love the open field of the cemetery, although I see more and more each year.

I wish the Indigo bunting would come back!

I noticed a buzzard sailing around yesterday….an old farmer told me once that after you see your 1st buzzard, you will have only 1 more snowfall. Been pretty accurate over the last few years.

Yep buzzards migrate and when they come back is when the snow isn’t covering thier food source.

Pug, I got a question for ya. Down here we have a little black bird with white speckeling on most of it body and wings. It hops from side to side and up and down on my tree in the front yards. Its obviously looking for something to eat and its not big at all and is probably 2 1/2″ long and not much bigger. Got any ideas on what its called. They stay all winter, cute little suckers. Very quick little birds…

Hmm, I am not sure by that description. When you said speckling, I immediately thought Startlings. But they are bigger than that and you probably know what that is.

Since you say they are only here in winter and are only about 2.5″ I was thinking Gray Junco (sometimes called Slate Junco). But they do not have speckles. They also have a very prominent white belly and when they fly you can see white bars running lengthwise on both sides of the tail. They feed almost exclusively on the ground too.

Is this it? I am guessing not. I might have to think on it.

No its not the right bird infact we don’t have those here. Hes a completely black little bird with white speckeling all over his body, and he is here during the warm months and they do winter over. Thanks for your help Pug…

I wasn’t sure if the Juncos wintered that far south. They are kind of cute, you are missing out.

Are the speckles similar to a Starling? (small dots) Or are the speckles larger patches? Do they hop up and down the truck of the tree?

Here’s 2 great resources for Id’ing brids and critters.
Cornell
eNature

We have juncos here all winter. Very cool bird to watch hop around.

THe closest bird I could find was the Brown Creeper, but this bird definately isn’t over 4″ long, a very small bird. Thinking back the whole back is very dark feathers with white motteling, the size reminds me of a wren and definately not much bigger. Tell the truth the underside I haven’t paid much attention to on whats its color is. I just asked the wife if shes seen them and she said she has. They hop from side to side and sometimes turn upside down, thier definately looking for something to eat between the bark. The next time I see one I’ll take better note because now I’m curious and maybe I’m missing some identification. Definately smaller then a sparrow. I looked through all the possible birds in both of those lists and didn’t see one close to what I thought I see when its on the side of the tree. Definately a tree clinger though.

There are tons of woodpeckers that are black with white spots. Could it be one of those?

No woodpecker I know is that small.

Without a photo, I think I am stumped.

Those juncos are pretty cool. They hang out under all our feeders, but seem to prefer thistle.

My 2 favorite migrating birds we see here only in spring and fall are white throat and white crowned sparrows. Both are fairly similar, but with distinct calls I am sure you have all heard before. Both hop and scratch at the ground like a chicken.

White Crowned

White Throat
The 3rd audio (1st in the calls) is my favorite possibly of all birds. The ones I hear up here do it at a lower pitch and it is more deliberate and melancholy. Very soothing to listen to when you wake up on a warm spring morning and sit on the patio with a cup of coffee.

We have had Fox Sparrows migrate through too. They are a big sparrow and like to scratch and hop like a chicken too.

One spring I had a Harris sparrow hanging around for a couple weeks. Harris Sparrow . He’s a pretty cool sparrow, another that is bigger than your normal house sparrow.

I bet most people don’t realize how many different sparrows there are and don’t realize sometimes they could be near something other than a house sparrow.

Now I am really pumped for spring. I almost forgot about the chipping sparrow.

I get distracted real easy in spring on walks or where ever I may be if I hear a song bird. I usually stray and try and track it down.