The robins have arrived! I've been hearing their funny little chirp for days but couldn't lay eyes on one of them until yesterday afternoon when there was a smattering of them in our backyard. By this afternoon there was a sizeable flock. And yes, my neighbor's grass is really that green. He overseeded with rye. It's pretty to look at but not worth having to mow all winter.
It didn't take them long to find the birdbath I'd filled with fresh water just for them. Ignore how grungy it looks; it hasn't had it's spring-time power washing yet. The birds didn't seem to care as they wasted no time getting down to the serious business of bathing.
You can, however, admire all the green behind the birdbath. The cardinal flower is up a good 6"-8" and the blooms on the blueberry bush can be seen just to the left of the birdbath. This corner of the yard must be more protected than other areas as our grass has plenty of green showing in it and you can see some purple flowers on the lantana that hid out on those frosty nights. I'm sure the birds were admiring all this color as they splashed and drank.
Not everyone, however, was a feathered friend. Well...feathered, yes, but some were less friendly than others. Whether it was a question of who was hogging the bathtub or someone splashed someone who didn't want to get wet I can't say but there were a few cross words among some of the bathers.
I had to get their attention and tell them to quit fighting with one another. 'Cause that's what mother's do, even when they aren't your own children.
And then everyone was happy again and back to splashing and cleaning up. I don't think I ever saw less than three or four robins in the birdbath the entire time I watched them. Judging by how long they all stayed in the water, I think they were glad to find it.
When we saw robins in Kansas, it was a sign of spring for the robins stayed all through the summer but that's not the case here. They'll be here for a few weeks and then move farther north. That's OK...I'll enjoy their chirps and funny little runs for as long as they are here. It definitely means spring is getting closer.
And as for that birdbath, the water won't last until Saturday night. I'll be back out there again tomorrow refilling it...and be glad to do it.
In our part of Ontario the return of the Robins means that spring really has arrived. Alas that is usually not until late March, early April .... but it is good to know that they are bathed and ready for their flight. Now just waiting for the groundhog to give flight clearance information.
Posted by: Mary-Lou | January 25, 2013 at 09:23 AM
Don't send them too far North yet or they'll wish they wore their "fur" coats!
Posted by: Suzeyq | January 25, 2013 at 01:12 PM