Waves in Minnesota

Large waves of robins appeared in Minnesota this week. When the weather is cold, robins can become gregarious again. They may revert to flocking to find food. They gather at night in communal roosts that can be noisy!

"Over 300 robins in the trees on my street. Robins are eating berries off trees and digging in mulch and exposed grass. But due to a recent snowfall of 3-5 inches, most of ground is covered." K.T. Maple Grove, MN (April 12)

"A huge wave of over 200 robins landed in a neighbor's yard today! Our winter just won't give up as temps are around the freezing mark and it's raining, sleeting, icing and snowing out today. I wonder if this group of robins may have been blown in from the Dakota Blizzard." Cindy, Grant, MN (April 12)

A young robin making its first spring migration north may end up hundreds of miles from where it hatched the summer before. It can easily get blown off course by winds or storms. All winter the young robin has followed groups of other robins, learning from them wherever they go. But once a robin has a successful nest, it often returns to the same place year after year.

Courtesy of Denise Thomas