I noticed robins, not in large flocks but a few, around our place in Lansing. They hadn't been in evidence for most of the winter so far. The birds I saw were foraging in the few areas of open ground--mostly under parked cars--free from the recent snow cover. My guess was that the recent snows had covered foraging areas they'd been using most of the mostly snow-free winter, but that the snow and colder weather had forced them to congregate in suitable areas. Winter roosting aggregations is an interesting question.
On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 1:02 PM, Linda P Van Buskirk <[email protected]>wrote: > While walking the dogs over the years, it has seemed to me that the robins > cluster in the deeper gullies woods during harsh weather. The behavior may > have something to do with wind speed and temperature. Also, if they roost > en masse, they will be warmer. A response to the North Atlantic > Oscillation?? > > > At 06:46 PM 1/5/2010, Eben McLane wrote: > > Here in Scipio at the edge of forest above Owasco Lake I also saw and heard > an unusual number (maybe 50 or so) of AMER. ROBINS at dusk in the trees and > along the driveway; when they left they seemed to be headed north and into a > snow squall. Never saw this behavior before in these conditions--wind > strengthening from the NW. I'd like to hear more about this, too. > > Eben McLane > > On Jan 5, 2010, at 5:54 PM, Susan Fast wrote: > > At 1615 this afternoon, I was driving down Dixon Rd. (N. of King Ferry), > then turned west on Rafferty. I noticed a bunch of birds flying NORTH over > the road, in the distance. Coming up to them, I noted they were AMER. > ROBINS, so I stopped to watch. The sky was pretty much full of what turned > out to be a long and wide straggling stream. They continued overhead for at > least 8 minutes. The stream stopped, so I drove on to Rt. 90 and turned > south. After a mile, the stream started again and continued till a couple > miles south of the Triangle Diner, where I ran out of birds. I didn’t > actually count them, but my conservative estimate is 3000. I thought they > might be going to some preselected roost (following them was not an option > today), but why so many this time of year? Constructive ideas welcomed. > > Steve Fast > Brooktondale > > Linda Van Buskirk, Ph.D., Sr. Lecturer > Department of Communication > 336 Kennedy Hall > Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-4203 > (607) 255-2161; fax (607) 254-1322 > > -- A. Thomas Vawter, Ph.D. Prof. of Biology & Environmental Science Chair, Biological and Chemical Sciences Herbert E. Ives Professor of Science Wells College Aurora, NY 13026 315.364.3269 [email protected] -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
