It took me most of the month but finally, the morning I woke up and said “Our old Robins have croaked so they won’t be back to use the nest platform this year.”
Guess what?? They showed up. One was searching for worms guarding the area of the nest and the other was in a tree watching. Robins do not maintain their pair bonds over the winter, raising the young must wear them out. However if the same pair meets up at the same place in the spring they will usually pair up again. Robins usually only live about two years but many banded birds have lived as long as six to fourteen years.
I have to search for my phenology list. I have it someplace…I think. I am sure “She who sees Robins first” saw hers a month ago. I am dead last this year.
First Robins:
April 19 2008, April 11 2009, April 5 2010, April 4 2011, March 23 2012, April 27 2013, April 9 2014 and April 24, 2015
I tell ya it pays to have a blog when you have lost your phenology list. I probably put it away so well it is lost forever. It also includes First Loons, First Ticks and First Bluebirds.
We have another first to report.
Our first Mourning Dove in our yard. Usually we see them out on the road, but this is the first time they have visited our yard.
Not sure why they are suddenly in our yard. I wonder if he/she will stay?
I am excited to see the Robins return it feels like it is really Spring now!
“From the beginnings of history, people have searched for order and meaning in these events [phenological events], but only a few have discovered that keeping records enhances the pleasure of the search, and also the chance of finding order and meaning. These few are called phenologists.” – Aldo Leopold (1947)
I keep track of my first of the season birds.. The robins and doves are sweet visitors.. Have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteOur home in Acworth had lots of mourning doves and I loved hearing them every morning. Glad the robins and spring are finally here! Wishing you and FG a nice weekend.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's spring now! We had a thunderstorm yesterday and the weather turned really cold, too. Thanks for the quote from Leopold, my old friend who you introduced me to. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy husband does keep a list somewhere because just last night he pointed out that the quince should be blooming soon. I probably should keep track of these things myself since I have little sense of what happens (or should happen) at particular points in the year.
ReplyDeleteGlad the robins have returned! I'm sure you are quite ready for spring.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting to see a robin and a dove....I may have to be satisfied with yours. Thanks for not making me look phenology up in the dictionary...I'm tired this morning! LOL!
ReplyDeleteCan morels be far behind? ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have Mourning Doves. the ring-neck doves have driven all our off.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I think we have robins all year round. The doves (although I'll have to check their necks to see if they are mourning) are very common in Oliver. I'm now starting to notice a few here, mostly hearing them but occasionally seeing them too.
ReplyDeleteAnother word I did not know! I keep track of the first purple martin scouts every year and try to record it with the PMCA. I've gotten lazy about that lately.
ReplyDeleteGlad Far Guy had a good visit with his doctor. The Bennie went Thursday for check up with kidney
ReplyDeletedoctor and he has improved, the doctor was pleased. Praying for body parts is a good thing.
I would be willing to bet that robins have been going through your yard for some time. We just have to be there at the right time to see them. Maybe she who sees robins first spends more time watching for them.
ReplyDeleteMy farm kitchen windows faced the east...for one year I kept track of the sunrise location in reference to the kitchen windows. Maybe not the same as tracking bird migration, but it was fun to track the change in location.
ReplyDeleteI can only go back to old blogs to find out past history. I am not that organized. Spotting a nest in the chokecherry tree does not mean it is a robin's nest but I hope that it is. No bird returned to my ladder ledge this year. I have robins everywhere but yet to see any other nests. I did see a robin doing battle with a piece of jute out in the garden. The jute did win as it was tied tightly.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteI discovered a robin's nest in our pear tree. But after laying one egg, I haven't seen any robins. I'm afraid the nest was too low and momma may have been eaten.
Have a wonderful week.
The avian "firsts" of the spring are so exciting. We've had robins for a couple weeks but I just had the first mourning dove at my feeders this week. It's also exciting to see kinglets everywhere, and warblers can't be far behind. Keep your eyes peeled as I'm sure they're in their way to your yard, too!
ReplyDeleteOh that's wonderful Connie, love to hear the Robins song too. I can't wait to see the birds back for Spring.Blessings Francine.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up phenology: the study of how the biological world times natural events. It's always good to learn new things.:-)
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have fewer migrating birds now and more year round. Robins don't sing in winter, but they don't leave either.
Spring apparently has arrived much quicker over to the west ~ or I have more looking time out my window :) We have had both robins and several doves ~ if I remember correctly the doves are around most of the summer.
ReplyDeleteSpring has come back with the robins, I hope!
ReplyDeleteFirst mourning dove is exciting too, Miss Phenologist. ;)
ReplyDeleteSupposed to be warm now for about a week! :)
I have a pair of robins building a nest under the deck again this year. They were late in arriving this year, too.
ReplyDeleteSo you would be a phenologist? That's neat. Seems like we have the same birds around all the time, except for the cow birds. They arrive here in early spring.
ReplyDeleteThey really are late this year at your place!!!! We have Eurasian Collared Doves here- unfortunately my cat Thumper got one the other day. Bad cat.
ReplyDeleteI'm not remembering the robin platform. Yes, the beauty of keeping a blog :-).
ReplyDelete