Re: [Maine-birds] Re: Observation - no robins????? Benton

Fewer robins here on my street in outer Sanford too. I hear one singing away just about dusk, as they are wont to do, and one digging on the yard yesterday, but not coming up with anything. No more than 2, if ever that. 

Only one goldfinch at a time lately too. 

Had a first fall/winter White-crowned Sparrow, I believe, this morning. Matching the  new Peterson picture. 

Barb

Sanford

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 11, 2021, at 5:16 PM, tom A <tom.aversa@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey Allan,

I have been noticing this all winter.  My theory is that the severe drought in our area this past summer (probably even worse in Unity where I live) pretty much wiped out much of the food supply including small fruits and weed seeds.  The wintering robins really depend on the small fruit crop.  This year near me, we basically had almost no robins overwinter.  By now, they usually seem to have switched to invertebrates, but perhaps some portion of their diet might still be small fruits from last year.  We have a few nesting pairs around, but I think overall numbers are still down because migrant robins continue to move on to greener pastures.

How about the low goldfinch numbers?  I think it is again drought related but different food sources.

Good birding and pray for rain,

tom

On Sunday, April 11, 2021 at 11:20:08 AM UTC-4 Allan Fuller wrote:

Question.. and observation...

I usually have lots of robins around the farm.  Some nest in the open
pole barn.  They usually are out getting worms in the morning on the
large mowed grass lawn in the back or the lawns across the street.  No
morning and evening songs from the robins sitting on the peaks of the
buildings.  Not one robin.... Anyone else observe that the robins are
missing?  Did my robins just not make it back from their winter vacation?

Are they just late coming back?  They are usually back before the snow
has fully left the fields.

Allan

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