Robin flocks

A sign that winter is progressing are the flocks of robins, descending on berry-laden hollies. They're not unlike the cedar waxwing flocks, taking turns swooping down on the hollies and back up to branches on the bare oaks. They're both sociable winter birds: a nice piece from Journey North that I just found describes their behavior.

The birds I heard and saw today outside my office in the Garden had a melodic murmur; without my (regular) glasses or binoculars, I couldn't see them clearly, but based on the sound, they may have been cedar waxwings (also from the Journey North site courtesy of Lang Elliot) rather than the robins I saw at home recently.

Both are welcome signs that winter is moving towards spring.

Comments

  1. We get Bohemian Waxwings where I live. I like to point them out to the kids and tell them that those birds take turns. They just finished stripping my Mountain Ash tree of its last berries. They certainly liven up the backyard when they visit. Robins are very unusual in the winter here. I can't say I blame them. I would migrate if I were a bird, too.

    Christine in Alaska

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  2. We have huge flocks of blackbirds, some of them being Redwing Blackbirds. Took some pictures yesterday.

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