Tuesday, January 09, 2007

 

ROBINS IN WINTER?

It's Winter on the Edwards Plateau where I live. The night-time low is often in the 20's so imagine my surprise when I came across a large flock of robins in a grove of trees near my home.

"Robins!" My eyes said. "Impossible," my mind said back - "it's not spring. Everyone knows you see robins in the Spring." But the distinctive red breast of the robin was obvious.

I checked the Texas Parks and Wildlife brochure by Mark W. Lockwood entitled Birds of the Edwards Plateau, A Field Checklist, and found on page 11 that American Robins are found in abundant numbers during the months of January, February, and March on the Edwards Plateau. So, my eyes had not deceived me!

Shortly after, Bill Lindermann, who writes a column in our local paper called Hill Country Birding, had a long article about the phenomena. It seems the birds love the berries that we normally have in abundance. And though it may seem cold to me, the robins find it much warmer than in northern climes.

Photo by Lucina M

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