NEWS FROM THE NORTHERN OBSERVATION POSTS May 9, 2006 When will their robins arrive? Make your predictions!   Joyanne Hamilton: Shageluk, Alaska In Shageluk, the first sighting of Gonondadoy (Deg Xinag for "Robin") was April 23! That would have been the winning entry for the Early Bird Contest! This week find out why their people are dependent on the migrations for survival, and why they are so concerned about Avian flu. Don't miss this year's final letter from Innoko River School in Shageluk, Alaska—where it was snowing when they wrote the letter yesterday!  Students welcomed back the juncos. Click photos to enlarge. Photos Joyanne Hamilton Do you see the weasel? Look closely at the top left of the picture. He's scampering past the classroom window on May 7. This weasel is in the process of changing its colors. How is survival for the people of Innoko River, Alaska dependent on the migrations? Find out in their letter to you. Dominique Cloutier: St Sauveur des Monts, PQ Our robins are very faithful, as usual; busy building nests, only visiting for food. Can't wait to see the young ones! Our hummingbirds have returned yesterday morning Bruce Bennett: Whitehorse, YT The first Wood Frogs were reported singing April 25th. The first Red-winged Blackbird was May 2nd. Most of the lakes are still frozen but some have opened with the strong winds. I think today is the first day we have had temperatures in the double digits (+10C). It also didn’t go below freezing last night. There are still large patches of snow but most of the valley around Whitehorse is now snow-free (85%), though most of the mountainsides are still covered. Still no Barn Swallows but the Cliff and Tree Swallows are back. I’m not sure what they are eating as there are very few flying insects yet. Ute Keitsch: Port Hope, ON Today, May 5, the Orioles are back in Port Hope. They are calling loud and clear. That is what I love so much about them. From high in the canopy they are keeping in touch. When I drive around town they are always there. This Mother’s Day I will get a BIG TREE, and next year I will hang a feeder up. The Hummingbirds will be next. Also the Wood Thrushes are here. Richard Darling: Nipawin , SK Spring has arrived. There is an old saying here that "the crows have to be snowed on 3 times and the frogs have to be frozen in 3 times before it is summer." Well, I think after a light snow and a below freezing night, we are ready for flowers to be planted. The robins have been here for a couple of weeks and have been singing their territorial songs since April 25th. We have a little park of pine trees near our home, and robins seem to have taken possession of the park! In our garden we have a large birdhouse, which I try to reserve for the purple martins (who are here). However, the sparrows also like the site! I hope the martins win this housing "crunch!" We see the v-formations of Canada geese returning to Tobin Lake in the late evening after a day of feeding in the fields around. Stan White: Homer, AK The robins were first sighted here on April 26th with a few warm-up notes heard. Then on the 29th they seemed to all burst out in song. Now (May 8) they are singing every morning and evening and sometimes during the day as well. Our weather has changed only slightly over the past week; the highs are getting up to almost 50 degrees, and the lows are usually about 30. Today, Sunday May 7th, it has been snowing almost all day, but melting enough to prevent much of an accumulation. However it hasn't seemed to dampen the robins' singing spirit; they were singing at 4:30 this morning and are still going at 10:00 at night despite the snow. Our long days give them a lot of time to announce their presence and spend many hours during the day foraging around under the trees and chasing each other all over the place. The return of migrants seems to be progressing slowly this year and we still have a lot to hear from. Our latest arrivals (Alder Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, etc.) usually don't show up until the first of June, so between now and then we are constantly on the look out (hear out?) for newcomers. A very exciting time! Steve Paulson: Lewistown, MT Robins are everywhere as we walk to the ponds. The Red winged Blackbirds are very territorial, and have been swooping on my 7th grade students. All in all it's a good day to be out. Jill Rogers: Corner Brook, NS Robins have been singing for a week or two now. Grass is green and temperatures hit 24 Celsius yesterday! Mike Sterling: Anchorage, AK The waves of robins are here, as are the raptors, seabirds, and—on Thursday—the WORMS! I always consider spring to have sprung when a rainstorm forces the worms out onto the pavement where all the hungry robins can feast. The rest of the firsts are all secondary to the worms. And with worms, can the mosquitoes, the breakup of the lakes and rivers, and the emergence of leaves be far behind? Copyright 2006 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form.