Robins Invading our Yard

[DreamTime]

Okay, here’s a weird one for you… This afternoon when we looked out our living room window, we saw dozens and dozens of Robins had taken over our yard. There were 6 to 8 at any one time, by the water that we keep out for the birds, and the trees were filled with robins. It reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds.”  

We never even see a robin until late March at the earliest, and then, it’s only 1 or 2 at any one time. Never, in all my life, have I ever seen robins’ travel in flocks. Plus, they never eat bird seed – only worms and bugs – but these were eating the cracked corn that we had out for the other creatures.  

I took a couple of pictures through our window to prove what I saw. The picture of the birds in the trees, are all robins, with the exception of one lone cardinal, who seemed to be along for the ride.  Evidently, these robins don’t know that it’s not spring yet.  

Something really strange is going on here… 

[DreamTime]

Robins around our water.

[Polly]

Hi Dream Time,

A wave of robins showed up in this yard yesterday but that is normal for here.  I've seen large flocks in the past pass through.  I am in MA as you know and robins from further north of me winter in this area while the robins which nest during the warm months in this area move further south in the fall.  I don't know if the robins here yesterday were wintering robins or robins which were moving northward but they do tend to migrate in Feb out this way.  They may have been attracted by the other birds in the yard and decided to hang out for a while.  Seeing robins in the snow is a common event for me but I cannot speak for MI.  They did not appear today though.  I've also seen many robins eat bird seed.  They will if they are hungry enough and need quick fuel.  Last year they came to the window feeder and dined on nuts, seeds and dried fruit.  :)

[DreamTime]

Yes, my daughter just informed me that robins do fly in "flocks," and they do eat corn, nuts & berries in the winter. I had never known this. But never-the-less, at least in the 9 years that I have lived in Michigan, I have never seen a robin this early in the year - and never in a flock. So something must have messed up their navigation for them to end up in our yard.

[William]

Nice pics....uh I know my jokes are getting old....but what is that white stuff???  hehehe  OK...im thru with that joke....for now!

  I too go outside and have a bunch of birds all flocked in my yard squelching sometimes.....  Its cool and weird at times....  Sometimes they get so loud they wake me up....Maybe I shouldnt sleep in so late??  :)

[Polly]

Hi Dream Time,

Are you having a milder than usual winter there?  This might be the reason robins decided to drop in and visit you, so of course it is unusual for your area.  That would be my first guess. :)  If your area continues to have milder winters robins might become the norm in early Feb. in your yard.  That would be interesting to me because it would point to a winter population shift.

Sorry, I love talking about birds and what they do so what you wrote really interested me.  Have you ever seen the magazine, "Birds and Blooms?  It has the most fabulous pictures and stories from readers about their interactions with birds.

Last night we had three inches of snow.  Prior to that we had a few dustings and perhaps an inch one day since the cold weather started.  This is far below our average snowfall for this time of year.  Also this year there is an unusually small number of birds in the vicinity so this is unusual for me to witness.

[Rebel]

Reminds me of "Rockin' Robin," a 1958 pop rock song by Bobby Day. It was Day's only hit single and was revivied as a single again in 1972 by Michael Jackson.

Song lyrics:

He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
[Chorus]

Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight

Every little swallow, every chickadee
Every little bird in the tall oak tree
The wise old owl, the big black crow
Flapping them wings sayin' go bird go
[Chorus]

A wordy little raven at the bird's first dance
Taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
He started goin' steady and bless my soul
He out popped the buzzard and the oriole

He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
[Chorus]

[DreamTime]

Well...we were having a warmer than normal winter up until a few weeks ago. But then it hit us hard and we've had a couple of blizzards with more to come. In fact, we have a blizzard warning out for today. And our temperatures are only in the single digits. So really, the robins shouldn't be anywhere near here.

The other strange thing I noticed this winter is that we didn't have any geese flying over here this year. We always have tons of geese every winter, so much so, that all I have to do is say 'geese' to our dog and he runs around looking up in the sky.

Yes, we love birds too. Our front yard is kind of a haven to them. Besides having a wooded lot right next to us, we have 6 hanging feeders in the yard and a ground feeder right by our window which is sheltered by our bushes. We also put out a birdbath with a heater in it so that they can have water all winter.  Yes, I have gotten the Birds And Blooms magazine before. It is a nice magazine for pictures.

Yeah, yeah, William...we know that you live in a warm state. But at least we don't get hurricanes - only tornadoes. :lol:

Thanks for that oldie but goodie, Rebel. I remember singing that song.

[Polly]

Dream Time,

The robins you saw and the robins I saw were only a day apart and we are horizontally near the same line on a map so I wonder how many other people saw robins between here and there and if the wave was massive or isolated.  The robins which showed up here were going over the huge open lawn areas poking into the sun warmed ground.  I did not see any near the feeders but I did not look closely.  They came in a day ahead of the storm and poof, they were gone again.  :)

[Sily]

Reminds me of "Rockin' Robin," a 1958 pop rock song by Bobby Day. It was Day's only hit single and was revivied as a single again in 1972 by Michael Jackson.

Song lyrics:

He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
[Chorus]

Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight

Every little swallow, every chickadee
Every little bird in the tall oak tree
The wise old owl, the big black crow
Flapping them wings sayin' go bird go
[Chorus]

A wordy little raven at the bird's first dance
Taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
He started goin' steady and bless my soul
He out popped the buzzard and the oriole

He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
[Chorus]