Where Have All The Robins Gone?

[Photoz]

Every year for the last 10 - 12 years there's been a fairly large group of robins hung around the area where I deliver mail. There's some fairly thick bush along the top end of the Don Valley, from Leslie to Bayview, both sides of Steeles, where they're fairly well sheltered. There are a lot of trees (ornamental cherry / crab apple?) with small berries in the neighbourhood, where I often saw them, at least 2 or 3 times a week. Plus, people put out food in their back yards for them, so they seemed to do quite well. The first year (1995ish) I saw them, during the winter months, there might have been a dozen, 2 years ago, one morning I counted over 3 dozen in and around one of their favorite trees. This year, with the snow & cold, I'd have thought they'd be out in full force? Nope!! Nary a one, haven't even seen any, flying at a distance, nor have I even heard their very recognizeable call? I haven't even seen the familiar starlings hangin' around the dumpsters, or fast food joints in plazas either? Has ANYONE else out there noticed this phenomenon this year? Other familiar birds missing? It just seems strange that EVERY robin that used to winter here (several generations) are not evident this year? After wintering here for several generations, I doubt they'd even know which way south was?

[lew]

There's a flock of about 12 robins in the valley over here Steve that I see just about every day when me & ole Marv are out tromping thru the woods. There's always been a few that hung around thru the winter, but this is the largest group I've seen spend the whole year up here.

 

Always nice to hear that familiar chirping on the cold, snowy days.

 

Course if that hawk that was in my backyard yesterday spots them, they could be gone PDQ.

[Big Cliff]

I guess I hadn't really noticed but now that you mention it, we do usually have quite a few birds around here in the winter but there doesn't seem to be very many this year. We've always had a bunch of doves around and I haven't seen one in weeks now. Strange!

 

Got any days off in the next week or so Steve? Thinking you, Beans, and I might get out for a day fishing.

[Rich Clemens]

You guys still have Robins up there ? During the winter, I never see any around here. I'm always anxious to see the first one as Spring is just around the corner. Interesting.

[lew]

We've always had a bunch of doves around and I haven't seen one in weeks now. Strange!

 

I think I know where your doves are Cliff, I always have at least 15-20 here in the yard and have counted as many as 50 at one time.

 

Beautiful birds that are always welcome here !!

[Big Cliff]

I love waking up in the morning to their calls. They get so tame around here that they will sit on the railing of our deck sometimes while we sit there just a few feet away. Kind of like being one with nature.

[bucktail]

None at my place this year either. Maybe they know something and headed south like normal.

Last year I had a monkingbird hanging around all winter ( very strange )

Guess this means there is alot more winter coming....hey it has to average out sometime!

[Beans]

I used to hate those damn doves stamping their feet on the roof when I had a hangover years ago ...now I put feed out for them...

[Nemo]

Not to be an alarmist but you may want to watch this video from the CBC that talks about the disappearance of common birds.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/envi..._birdies_1.html

 

One thing I noticed this Summer was the lack of Barn Swallows. I used to see hundreds of them.

[bucktail]

I know down here on the Lakeshore in Oakville that last year and the year before the swallows got wiped out by late season snowstorms. They were clinging to the sides of the plant out of the wind and dropping like leaves.

[Photoz]

Hey y y y y Cliff (& Beansie & MikeH & Crappieperchunter) . . . . check your e-mail . . . . how's about beautiful Lake 'X' for some of those tasty wee w'atchamacallits in the mornin', eh?