Where can robins be found in North America in February? That was the question posed by Wisconsin students at Valders Middle School.
Here is their final report:
January 28 Seabrook, Texas (on Galveston Bay) Donald Perkins
February 4 Palo Alto, California Ms. Surberb's 4th grade
February 5 Rochester, New York Fyle Elementary
February 6 Bowie, Maryland Holy Trininity School
February 8 Wind River Extension, Wyoming Duncan Perrote
February 8 Pittsford, New York Park Road School
February 8 Nashville, Tennessee Nashville University School
February 10 Virginia Beach, Virginia February 12 Valders, Wisconsin Valders Middle School
February 14 54 N, 109 W Ernie Studer School
February 15 Buffalo, New York
"This past weekend I was keeping my eye out for robins as I know that they winter here in Texas. And I had the best of luck. I saw four or five different flocks, each with about 30 birds to the flock. This was in the Seabrook area of Texas on Galveston Bay.
Another wintering bird in this area that I love to find is the sandhill crane. I didnt find any big flocks of these, but I did find 5 individuals busy feeding in a field near Alvin, Texas."
Donald Perkins Armadillo--The Texas Studies Gopher dperkins@tenet.edu
"Hello to the students at Valder's Middle school!
I am a biologist/high school teacher in an Eskimo village of Wainwright, Alaska. Although I cannot help you with the robin migration for this year, I wanted to inform you that last year, we saw robins in our village!! If you do get a map, you will see that there is a large range of mountains called the Brooks Range that separates the North Slope from the interior of our state. Normally, these mountains act as a PHYSICAL BARRIER to animals so that they do not extend their summer ranges past these mountains. In addition, the lack of trees and the harsh conditions on the North Slope prevent many animals from thriving up here.
However, once in a while, we get animal visitors from the south that have lost their way in a storm, or for other reasons that we cannot tell. Last year, we saw two species of thrushes (the family in which robins belong)! They stuck out like sore thumbs because of their song, size and coloration. I was so pleased to see them, as they reminded me of the place in which I grew up in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, they probably perished as winter set in, if they did not get south once again.
We have 5 species of thrush in Alaska that breed in the summers. They are the most beautiful singers in the world. I hope you, too may be able to hear the songs of the thrushes some day.
Good luck with your study on robin migration. You may find some interesting correlations between where they winter and how mild or cold the winter is."
Sincerely, Laura Thorpe lthorpe@arctic.nsbsd.k12.ak.us
"Hi to you out there in Wisconsin! We have been keeping our eyes out for robins here in Rochester. I haven't had any at my 14 birdfeeders, but my husband, Gill Petri, has seen flocks of hundreds in the late afternoon flying towards a local park - Mendon Ponds - where they are apparently roosting."
Gail Petri, Librarian Fyle Elementary School Rochester, NY 14623
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