Robinpalooza

[mark kosse]

It's been a strange winter here in central texas. Overcast most every day. Reminds me of winters of my youth in western pa, always gloomy and overcast but without the dirty snow.

the really strange phenomenon is the robins this year. They are here by the tens of thousands.

Last night I was sitting at my pond and the sky, horizon to horizon was covered with them. When walking in the woods the sound of their singing is almost deafening. They will all be singing and then they all stop at the same time and there is silence...for about 5 seconds, and the drowning song restarts. I have to fill my rather large birdbath twice a day they drink and bathe so much.

theyre always here in the winter I just have never seen so many. They must be on some kind of up cycle to be so plentiful. Luckily there aren't any Cajuns around these parts. Or maybe unluckily.

watch out you folks up north, they're coming...

[Jim Becker]

They've been here already, Mark. :) I've never seen so many Robins "during" the winter before. Not in huge numbers like you're observing, but more than I've ever noticed before...

[Lee Schierer]

I haven't noted any here yet. We are above freezing and the snow except for big piles in parking lots and along driveways is gone.

[David Dockstader]

Please keep them down there with you guys. They eat ALL the cherries off my trees before they get anywhere past the pink stage. I'd like some more cherry pies this year.

[Lee Schierer]

Please keep them down there with you guys. They eat ALL the cherries off my trees before they get anywhere past the pink stage. I'd like some more cherry pies this year.

We have to cover our cherry tree with netting to get any cherries. Our tree is getting too much shade now from a nearby red oak tree to produce well.

[mark kosse]

It's funny, I wrote this and they were here all winter. Nary a robin in sight the past few days.

[Bill Neely]

There've been more robins than usual here this winter but still not a large number. What we noticed on a walk last week were 5 turkey vultures circling over a nearby hill. Quite early for them and the temperatures have been in the 20's and 30's?

[mark kosse]

Turkey vultures migrate? I sometimes have 30+ sitting in my dead trees. 2 were mating in my back yard the other day.

[Jim Becker]

Turkey vultures migrate? I sometimes have 30+ sitting in my dead trees. 2 were mating in my back yard the other day.
Turkey vultures are here year-round for sure...they are the local clean-up crew! Magnificent fliers, too.