I just spent two weeks in eastern North Carolina and a bit in South Carolina since it was only 1 mile from the retreat center where I was teaching. The first week I got to teach nature to 10 boys aged 8 to 14 and then a week of girls aged 7 to 17. It was magnificent with Eastern Towhees calling from the tree tops in one stand and Summer Tanagers calling from another, flocks of Wild Turkeys slowly grazing, Eastern Bluebirds and Eastern Kingbirds sharing a fence line for insects flying by, Yellow-billed Cuckoos feasting on tent caterpillars, a mating of Blue Grosbeaks cautiously hanging near a blueberry patch, Tufted Titmice as common as House Sparrow in Minneapolis, Carolina Chickadees with the sun letting me see deep midnight blue instead of black on their heads, a Pileated Woodpecker teasing my viewing around a huge oak tree, a solitary Indigo Bunting calling from a dead snag, the evenings filled with Chuck-Will's-Widow calls from all around, Turkey Vultures flying some 20 feet over our heads after snacking on a recent fox road kill and a dispatched copperhead snake, Belted Kingfishers calling their territory while we seined the Pacolet River, a Red-Tailed Hawk roosting on a bare pine limb to read the menu at a frog pond with at least 15 different species of frogs from thumb size to a-good-foot-long greens, tentative Cardinals, Eastern Wood Peewees, small flocks of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers playing tag in the briars, and many more.
When I got back though, after refilling the feeders, cleaning the baths, and watering, watering, watering, it came to me that there were no robins in my yard - none. When I left they were lined up at the baths and eating suet and fruit and challenging me for my fishing worms I flood from the soil, and now none. I think I saw one, only one fly by near a neighbor's house but none in my yard. Heck, they are even here in winter as of late. Anyone have any idea where they went or if you have noticed their absence also? Maybe they just can't stand to have me not watch them and decided to follow me east. Let's see, at around 1,100 miles at robin flying speed, say 12 miles per hour, add in hundreds of breaks to eat and rest and drink, account for heat and weather, then the return flight. Hmmmm. Maybe I will see them in September. Did I mention the South Carolina peaches were in season? Yum and dripping with juice. Suck in while eating or wear the juice - my favorite fruit in July. Thomas Maiello Spring Lake Park
