[HungarianHippo]

A migrating flock of robins has graced our pasture for a pit stop this afternoon. Tim noticed a couple hopping around--weird, because it's very early for robins-- and then a couple more landed, and minutes later they were landing by the dozen. There has to be a hundred robins. It was kinda magical.
Next two days will be very warm here (IA), but then by Thursday back into the low teens. Hope they'll be ok.

We saw a die-off of tree swallows one October day a couple of years ago-- they were heading south, but we had an early freeze where it was in the 20s and 30s for about a week, which killed off all the bugs. The swallows were all perched along the power lines near our house, and every single one died within a couple hour span. We literally had to go out and rake them off the road, there were so many. Never saw anything like it before or since, so I put a couple in the freezer and called the DNR to see if they wanted to test for some disease or poison. The DNR biologist said it wasn't all that uncommon. They just started their trip a couple weeks too late and got unlucky.

Hope these robins can stand the cold and find food. We have seed out, but not sure how long they'll hang out here. I think they're pretty hardy, though.

[prairiewind2]

Many robins overwinter here now. Central Wyoming. That's new in the last few years.

BTW, temps here have been in the 50s this week. Sooooooo weird. Saw a fly today.

I guess this is the new normal.

Liz

[mht]

We have robins around here that don't migrate. They stay deep in the bush, and seem to do okay.

[My Two Cents]

My DH saw robins about 10 days ago! Very strange sighting in Iowa in January.

[Equibrit]

My daylilies/daffodils started appearing 10 days ago. (N Ga) The grass is bright new green and the clover never died back.

[ultimateshowmom]

Sandhills cranes have been sighted in Indiana. 6-8 weeks early. Maybe another early spring?

[walktrot]

I had a good sized flock a couple of weeks ago in my yard. This was before the really cold weather we've had for the last week or so. I am in southern Maine, and was surprised to see so many of them.

[FalseImpression]

Some silly robins never leave... but with the stupid temperatures we are having... they may be able to find food. We went from spring temperatures to extreme freezing and are now back to spring temperatures.
Sigh... I may as well move to a climate where there are no differences in seasons. I like winter, darn it!