Journey North Robin Migration

American Robin

NEWS FROM THE NORTHERN OBSERVATION POSTS
April 24, 2007
Check Your Predictions!

Shageluk, AK: Site of Our Early Bird Contest

NEWS FLASH! We just learned (after posting this report) that the first robin was seen April 22 and heard April 20!
Students at Shageluk's Innoko River School are still waiting for robins. (Click here to see dates for the first robin's arrival in past years.) Teacher Joy Hamilton wrote, "We ALWAYS have a winter-like snow storm the 2nd or 3rd week in April like clockwork, and ALWAYS the day after the big storm the geese and ducks come. This year, right on time, we saw our first geese and ducks the day after our big storm. Temps are still chilly here at night, about 27 degrees, but the days, depending on if the sun is out or not, have been as warm as 50 degrees. Colder the last couple of days with that storm that came through but still melting during the day.

In our tradition here after the geese arrive to start working on our boats, getting them ready for when the ice goes out. We can work on fish nets and gather punk, the shelf fungus that grows on birch trees. We burn punk in the summer in our porches to keep the mosquitoes down!

Richard Darling: Nipawin , SK
We went for a walk near the Saskatchewan River and heard and saw robins. They have arrived today, Sunday, April 22!

Mike Sterling: Anchorage, AK
So far no robins. We’ve had several days in a row during which the low temperature hasn’t dropped below freezing. The snow is nearly gone. Geese, ducks, Swans, and more are showing up.

Pam Randles, Haines and Talkeetna, AK
Haines Teacher Patty Brown reports: Unseasonable this year in Haines? Absolutely. Way more snow, some extended cold periods, much less rain, and now we are finally having some sun. LOTS of snow is still on the ground. The track was entirely covered — shoulder deep — until the city plowed it. Quite a sight!

Talkeetna: Spring is coming fast. The days are long and warm with lots of blue skies showing through. The snow is thawing rapidly and ground is showing. The ravens are building nests, and the chickadees, redpolls and Pine Grosbeaks are singing. And, in Talkeetna, the mountain climbers are arriving, a sure sign of spring.

Marc Landry: Beresford, NB
It’s a wild weather! They are forecasting rain and 20°C for next week.... BYE BYE SNOW! I saw my first bald eagle of the season in Richibouctou Saturday afternoon and I just visited my flower beds and I saw the first signs of tulip emergence.

Margot Hervieux, Grande Prairie, AB
We have had a few days of cooler weather and rain but it is above freezing every day and the snow is steadily melting. We are starting to see juncos and other sparrows arriving as well as the robins, but I haven't heard anything singing yet. As the weather warms up again we should get a flush of green and spring should really be here.

Jari Heikkila, Inuvik, NT
No signs of robins yet. Regional long-term normal temps for April 19: Max -5, Min. -16. Here are temps forecast for Apr. 19-23.

Date	High Temp (Celcius)	Low Temp (Celcius)
April 19	+4	-2
April 20	+3
April 21	+4	-2
April 22	+4	-2
April 23	+5	-2

As you can see, we are well above the long-term normals right now. It should be sunny and calm over the whole five day period. The snow is melting fast and soon we will have our only connection, the Dempster highway, closed for a month or so. Also, our sunrise Apr. 19 was at 6:45 and the sun will set at 11:03 tonight.

Shirley Bell, Winnipeg, MB
No robins, but yesterday the spring peepers started to sing in the swamp. So during the night we are serenaded with the geese and them. I think spring is definitely coming as the pollen season has also started.

Linda Hoffman, Creston, BC
It has been a very unsettled spring here. One day it is warm, the next day it is windy and cold. But this hasn't stopped the robins. I saw the first signs of nest building on April 9th and they are very active now. Can you spot the robin in this picture? This robin is building a nest on the support post of our deck. She is using strings I have put out for the robins to use. This is a spot the robins really like to use but the cats wrecked the nest. We have tried really spiny pinecones on the deck under the nest, and sticks across the lattice work, but the cats still got up there. Anyone have any ideas about how we can keep the cats away?

Ute Keitsch, Port Hope, ON
Great news. My Husband saw hundreds of female Robins this morning on the golf course. More exciting news. We saw a Female Robin flying by with mud and long old grass in its beak (nesting material) heading for a tall lilac bush. How is that for news from Port Hope?

Dominique Cloutier: St Sauveur des Monts, PQ
We have incredible weather here, up north! Just last week we received 30cms of snow, and in the past three weeks more snow than we had the whole winter. Today is 24 Celsius, that's 72 F, and a bit cloudy. Yesterday was sunny and you'd have thought we were in June! After arriving Apr. 6, robins are around. I see two couples every day, morning and early evening. Not sure yet where they have decided to nest!