The robin migration has clearly moved north, where few Internet Field Team members are found. Notice only one of these sightings occurred in April! If you have Internet friends in the far north, please send them some mail and ask whether they've seen their first robin.
All across the lower 48 States and in many parts of Canada people are now enjoying the robins' spring songs. Do you realize that, if it weren't for a woman named Rachel Carson, this might not be the case? We wonder if you know who Rachel Carson is and how her work affected the lives of the robins in your backyard.
Challenge Question # 76
"Who was Rachel Carson and what was she concerned about? Exactly how did this affect the robin's food chain?" (Please describe the robins' food chain in as much detail as you can.)
To respond to this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.
Date............Location
03/05/96........Jackson Co., MN
03/08/96........Alliance, NE
03/12/96........Vassalboro, ME
03/14/96........Macedon, NY
03/15/96........Cheyenne Area, WY
03/25/96........Sheboygan, WI
03/24/96........Rochester, NY
03/25/96........Aurora, OH
03/25/96........Bar Harbor, ME
03/27/96........Box Elder, SD
03/28/96........Oley, PA
03/28/96........Hibbing, MN
03/28/96........Penn Hills, PA
03/29/96........St-Augustin de Desmaures, Quebec
03/30/96........Kingsville, ONT.
03/31/96........Amherst, MA
03/31/96........Eagle Lake, MN
04/01/96........Lenoir, NC
The first female robins arrived in Oley, PA on April 1st, "Just in time for Easter," according to students in Mrs. Moretz's class at Oley Valley Elementary School. "We sighted our first male robins on Feb. 28. Since then we have observed them staking out their territory. We now are seeing flocks of robins. At last we have spotted several females."
Early Bird Contest Update
Still no robins reported in Anchorage, Alaska! Thanks to students who who've placed their guesses in the Early Bird Contest. We even heard from Dan & John at Glennallen Junior High in Glennallen, Alaska where they're eagerly awaiting the first robin's arrival. (Can you find Glennallen? It's 187 miles east of Anchorage and 114 miles north of Valdez.) Here's an update from Anchorage:
Dear Robin Watchers:
This is our conference week here in the Anchorage School District,
so Zach and Roger won't be able to do their Robin update. Luckily,
they have a GREAT teacher who is willing to fill in for them JUST
THIS ONCE. I'll tell you all you need to know about present weather
conditions.
Spring IS coming: During the last week (3-25 to 3-31), our Isotherm went up to 33 degrees F. The week before showed an isotherm of 25 degrees F. We are getting warmer, but don't think the ground is going to thaw anytime soon. Are there any plant experts out there that can tell us whether our perennials are going to survive?
Zach and Roger told you all about our severe winter. We think the cold, combined with the snow, is really going to slow down the part of spring that involves the thawing of the ground. We recently heard an expert say that even in a NORMAL winter the ground continues to freeze deeper until the month of May! He speculated that things may stay frozen longer than that because of the present unusual frost depth. The water mains that deliver city water are buried 10 feet in the ground and they have been popping like corks all over town. Not a pretty picture.
We told you that the moose are doing well up here. They are surviving because they didn't have to work so hard for forage due to the sparse snow cover. Last year, when there was so much snow, they became something of a nuisance here in town. One problem is that people feel sorry for them and think they are doing them a favor by feeding them. The moose come to expect food every time they see humans, and in their haste to get to the goodies, accidents happen. Occasionally, there are even fatalities involving human-moose contacts.
Zach and Roger will be back next week. I promise!
Mr. Sterling at Sand Lake Elementary School
Observer's Comments
From MINNESOTA:
March 5, 1996
The first robins were sighted in our area (43.30 N 96W) on March 5. On
April 1 Stephanie was digging in a snowbank near her home in Round Lake MN
when she saw a robin land very near her. She sat very still and watched
while the robin waited for a worm to eat. Pretty soon he pulled one up out
of the ground so Stephanie says the worms are starting to come up for the
robins to eat. This morning, April 2, we observed 16 robins outside out
classroom window. They were finding many worms to eat in an area where
snowbanks had just recently melted.
Stephanie Onken and Lesleigh Wiese Sioux Valley/Round Lake Elem Jackson Co.
MN
0328supt@informns.k12.mn.us
From NEBRASKA:
March 8, 1996
In the backyard,I saw 5 by robins
Crystal Erickson ,Alliance
Joan Kollars
jkollars@panesu.esu.14.k12.ne.us
From MAINE:
March 12,1996
I saw 5 robins March 13. Sean. I saw 12 Robins on march 13 and march,26. Joshua
I saw 5 Robins on March 20 Matt. Mrs. Haines saw a flock of robins (15)
March 26. Sean Getchell Joshua Masse , Matt Vincent and Mrs. Haines
Vassalboro Community School, Vassalboro, Maine 44 North, 68 1/2 West
Sueme50@aol.com
From NEW YORK:
March 14, 1996
I'm Lindsey M. and I live in Macedon, NY and I saw 8 robins in my backyard.
I was so amazed when I saw them. They were near my ponds nibbling around.
Many of my classmates plus my teacher have seen robins too.
Lindsey, Mrs. Gardner, Macedon Elementary, macelem@transit.nyser.net
From WYOMING:
March 15, 1996
Robins have been sighted in the Cheyenne Area for the last two weeks.
Greater #'s arrrive daily. The rescent snowstorm(blizzard) has had little
effect on the proliferation of the birds into the Cheyenne area. More
later...
Mike Gardner, Cheyenne East High School, Dalton Jones djones@wyoming.com
From WISCONSIN:
March 23, 1996
We are fourth and fifth grade students at Sheridan School in Sheboygan. We
are starting to see robins. On March 23, Chue saw 5 robins in his yard. On
March 24, Cassy saw a robin in the tree in her yard. On March 25, Lisa saw 2
robins in her backyard. She thinks one was a male and one was a female. On
March 26, John saw 2 robins in his friend's bird feeder, and Tony saw one
robin in the evening. This week has been very cold for March, but it should
warm up this weekend.
SSchool433@aol.com
From NEW YORK:
March 24-31, 1996
Robins are definitely here in Rochester, NY. Miss Sawicki's class spotted
several robins last weekend.Matt, Joey, Shauna, Jennifer, Kari, Brandon and
Miss Sawicki each saw 1 or more in their yards. They (Brian, Matt, Shauna,
Bill, Kari, Shiven and Miss Sawicki)also noticed that the buds are
beginning to come out on the trees Most were pussywillows, but they plant
to check what other trees have buds. Emma Cuciurean and Jennifer DeLone
spotted robins in their yards on March 30 too! On my way to and from work
for the last week, every time I (Gail Petri) drive by the Powers Farm
Market in Pittsford, New York, I have spotted anywhere from 12 to 50 robins
in the grassy area around their parking lot. The robins appear to be mostly
males and this is the only place where I have seen this many together. I
usually see more robins in the afternoon. I wonder what they find
particularly tasty in this grass? Mrs. Sawicki's 4th grade class, Gail
Petri (Librarian) Fyle Elementary School
gpetri@mail.monroe.edu
From OHIO:
March 25, 1996
We here at Craddock Elementary in Aurora, Ohio have noticed that there have
been no sightings in Ohio. We have been watching the robins coming for
about 4 weeks now. There have been noticably more this past week (March
25). First it was one or two but now we are seeing large groups of at
least 10 and so far up to 30 in the fields and yards. There must be worms
too. They are all pecking away at the ground. Finally our weather is
getting warmer and the Robins are here. We are glad Spring is here.
Reporting---the students of room 115 Craddock Elementary, Aurora,
Ohio.Sharon V. Dreyer
svd2ar@aurora.stark.k12.oh.us
From MAINE:
March 25, 1996
March 25--I saw 15-20 Robins in my yard they were male and female. I saw
one eat a worm too.- Heather Walls
March 28-At my house in a tree I saw 2 robins. I think they were both males. I
also saw about 5 or 6 robins when I was riding on the bus to school.-Emily Robb
March 26-I saw 4 robins in my back yard they were all males. I watched to
see if they were going to fight over territory but they diden't we haven't seen
any of them yet at school but we think we will soon(hopfully)-Tristan
Birkenmeier.Mrs. Sue Hersey,Conners School, Bar Harbor,Maine
mhg4@emerson.u98.k12.me.us
From MASSACHUSETTS:
March 27, 1996
Students in Mrs. Sather's class saw 51 robins on March 27.
Students in Mrs. Sather's class saw 75 robins on March 28.
Students in Mrs. Sather's class saw 117 robins on March 29.
Mrs. Sather's Class, Forest Avenue sather@wetland.ultranet.com
From SOUTH DAKOTA:
March 27, 1996
As I was leaving the Douglas Middle School at 5:45 pm, I observed one very
lonely, cold, robin huddling in a tree. The temperature at that time was
27 F, with a wind chill of 8F, and wind speed of NE 13. We have been
wondering if spring would ever arrive in SD, amid our blizzards, so
hopefully this robin knows something we don't !!!!Marlene Rothermel,Box
Elder,SD
mrothermel@tie.net
From PENNSYLVANIA:
March 28, 1996
From Oley Valley Elementary School in Oley, PA, Robins are now
fairly common in our area. We have only onserved male robins. Nicole
reports seeing two male robins fighting over territory. They were flying
around each other and landing and pecking at each other. One male seemed
to be trying to drive the other out of a bush. Ms Eckert observes them
sitting on low tree branches in the evening and singing and flicking their
tails. This seems to be their war cry -- this is my tree! She also
reports hearing the first red winged blackbird. Lynda Eckert, Computer Lab
Instructor,Oley Valley Elementary School,Oley, PA
leckert@fast.net
From MINNESOTA:
March 28, 1996
Saw one robin sitting in the tree during the morning paper route.
Jeff Hughes and Lee Zieske, Washington Elementary,Hibbing,Minnesota
Bridget Hoffman bhoffmam@InforMNs.K12.mn.us
From PENNSYLVANIA:
March 28, 1996
Yesterday for the first we saw a large flock (20-25) of robins in a grassy
area of our school's ground. They appeared to be scavenging for worms or
insects. While we have seen one or two robins earlier in the week, this is
the first time we have seen so many. We'll continue to do field
observations to see if the numbers increase or decrease.Sharon, David,
Brandi, Brian and Miss ChambersForbes Elementary, Penn Hills, PA
schamb@pitt.edu
From QUEBEC:
March 29, 1996
I saw my first robin last week (march 29) near my house.My address
is : 374 road 4 west, st-augustin de desmaures, it is about 25 km
west of quebec city, province of quebec, Canada.
dubuc@cfl.forestry.ca
From ONTARIO:
March 30-April 3, 1996
Robin Migration Update from Jack Miner Public School
Jack Miner Public School is just down the road from the Jack Miner Bird
Sanctuary. In the fall, our Grade 8 students are busily involved with
assisting in the banding of Canada Geese, ducks and related waterfowl. The
natural relation with the environment is part of our school.
Reporting that on March 30, 6 robins and on April 2, students saw 4 robins
and finally, on April 3, 1 robin. The birds are becoming plentiful, and are
coming back in large numbers. This week, many robins are being spotted in
yards all around the community. Connie Tranter-Grade 3/4 teacher, Corry
Demeris-Computer Contact at J.M.P.S., Jack Miner Public School
jmps@mail.wincom.net
From MASSACHUSETTS:
March 31, 1996
We are Ms. Waldoch's 4th grade class, Wildwood school, Amherst, MA
(42.23N Latitude, 72.31W longitude). The week ending Mar. 31, we saw 49
robins! The isotherm was 43 degrees F. We mostly saw the robins in trees
and on wires. -Joselyn, Lauren, Josh, Steven, and Julia,
E. Donoghue's class (Wildwood ES) wwes1@k12.oit.umass.edu
From NEW YORK:
March 31, 1996
I saw a bushful of what looked like female robins.I was walkingmy dog by
the water and my dog scared them. Amanda Hassel, Carolyn O'Neil, Sea Cliff
School Sea Cliff, New York nsscs@linet01.li.net
From MINNESOTA:
March 31, 1996
Three of the students reported seeing robins near their homes on Sunday,
March 31 and Monday April 1. I saw one outside of our classroom window on
Wednesday, April 3. With the unseasonable cool weather we have been
experiencing these past few weeks, we think the robins are probably
regretting having returned so soon! Mr. Hatleli's Class, Eagle Lake
Elementary, Mankato Schools Eagle Lake, MN
jhatle1@eagle.isd77.k12.mn.us
From PENNSYLVANIA:
April 3, 1996
We are happy to report that female robins have arrived in Oley in time for
Easter. We saw our first male robins on Feb. 28. Since then we have
observed them staking out their territory. We now are seeing flocks of
robins. At last we have spotted several females. Our teacher, Mrs. Moretz,
saw a male and female building a nest.
Mrs. Moretz, Oley Valley Elementary School, Oley, PA
leckert@fast.net
From NORTH CAROLINA:
April 1, 1996
Most of our students have seen robins around their houses for several weeks,
but we wanted to wait until we sighted robins on our school campus before
reporting. Finally, on Monday, April 1, we saw 3 robins in the trees near
our playground who were singing and flying from tree to tree.
Ms. Swaim's Second Grade, Gamewell Elementary
Lenoir, N.C.
How to Respond to Challenge Question # 76:
1. Send an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line write: Challenge Question # 76
3. In the Body of your message, answer this question:
"Who was Rachel Carson and what was she concerned about? Exactly how did this affect the robin's food chain?" (Please describe the robins' food chain in as much detail as you can.)
The Next Robin Update Will be Posted on April 23, 1996
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