American Robin
  
Migration Update: March 9, 2010
Please Report
Your Sightings!

As we celebrate the return of the robin, there's another sign of spring we don't want to overlook. That's why the lowly earthworm is taking center stage this week. Worms only migrate a few feet, but the timing of their arrival makes earthworms the unsung heros of robin migration.

This Week's Report Includes:

Image of the Week

What do you see?

The Migration: What's Happening Now & What to Watch For

What's Happening Now
Robins are starting to sing across the United States, from the Pacific to the Atlantic: “The home boys are back!” wrote a man in Virginia. The number of people who reported robins tripled this week, and the number of states with singing robins went from 15 to 23. Canadians should report the first singing robins any day. Which province do you predict will announce a singing robin first? 'Tis only the beginning of the robin-song season. Get ready so you'll know your robin's song when you hear it!

Favorite Hunting Spots

Rain and snowmelt soften the soil for earthworms. Watch how robins search in places where snow has recently melted. These are favorite hunting spots for robins during migration, as they switch their food from berries to worms.

What to Watch For
As the snow melts and the sun warms the soil, watch how robins find earthworms. Robins know where the hunting is best. They search along the margins of melting snow and other places that are wet. Earthworms will wriggle to the surface where the soil is soft, wet and warm enough.


First EARTHWORMS
(map/sightings)

This Week's Featured Map

  


Map Questions

Slideshow and Activity

Slideshow: Earthworms and Robins Return
The arrival of the first robins is a welcome sign of spring, and is often closely tied to the appearance of the first earthworms. Find out how closely the two are connected.

Activity: Temperature Timeline
March is a time of dramatic change. When will the ground thaw and earthworms appear? When will your backyard robins arrive? Create a Temperature Timeline to watch for connections between changing temperatures and signs of spring. With large chart paper, build a visual record of spring's arrival by constructing a wall-size line graph to document this month's average temperatures. Invite students to add signs of spring by drawing, writing, or adding digital photos to the line graph.

  
Research Question and Links: Explore!

This Week's Research Question: Why do worms come out after it rains?

Other links to explore:

Please Report Your Sightings!
The First Robin You
See

Robins migrating in Waves
The First Robin You
Hear Singing

Your first sighting of Earthworms


Wayne Kruyduba
More Robin Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Robin Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 9, 2010.

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