Robin migration is in full swing! Since our March 10th update robins have been reported from 29 new locations. We've listed them in a chart this week in hopes that you'll use less paper when you print this report for mapping purposes.
Look closely at the early robins. As with many migratory species, male robins arrive on the breeding grounds ahead of the females. You'll see them fight one another as they stake out breeding territories. The females arrive one or two weeks later than the males. You'll notice that their plummage appears faded and drab in comparison to that of the males.
There's a rule of thumb about springtime and robins--It will snow at least 3-4 times after the first robins arrive. Test whether this holds true where you live then let us know at: jn_rule@informns.k12.mn.us
Remember to report your FIRST robin to:
Date Place of Robin Sighting
March 4 Keene, New Hampshire March 4 Rochester, New York March 4 Tom's River, New Jersey March 5 Archbold, Ohio March 5 Mankato, Minnesota March 5 Ottawa, Ontario March 7 Spring Arbor, Michigan March 8 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania March 10 Poughkeepsie, New York March 10 York, Nebraska March 10 Albert Lea, Minnesota March 11 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania March 11 Wayzata, Minnesota March 11 Bemidji, Minnesota March 11 Horseheads, New York March 12 Lincoln, Nebraska March 12 St. Paul, Minnesota March 12 Mankato, Minnesota March 12 Mankato, Minnesota March 12 Hopkins, Minnesota March 13 Brooklyn Center, Minnesota March 13 Elk River, Minnesota March 14 Lewiston, Michigan March 14 Peacham, Vermont March 14 West St. Paul, Minnesota March 15 Valley Stream, New York
February Reports February 28 Monument, Colorado February 18 Annandale, Minnesota February 19 Minneapolis, Minnesota
March 4 Folks, I sighted my first robin of the season at 6:30 a.m. in my lawn. The temperature was aprox. 45 degrees F, no noticable wind. Needless to say, it's great to see some signs of spring. Rilda "Buttsy" Letourneau, Kindergarten teacher Marlborough School, Keene, NH r_baker@mentor.unh.edu
March 4 The first two robin sighted in Rochester, New York on March 4, 1995 at 1:00 o'clock. Brian Marriott, MAMHRD@ritvax.isc. rit.edu
March 4 We are at North Dover Elementary School, Toms River, NJ The week of Mar 4 through Mar 10 we have seen a total of 12 robins. Specific dates are as follows: 3/4-Jill- First robin Jill Argenziarro, Chris S. Greg P., Bethany F.,Ted V, Steve H, Todd S. BCDH26A@prodigy.com
March 5 Dear Teammates, On Mon. March 5, 1995 we saw the first robin. Our school name is Archbold Elementary School. Our town name is Archbold. We live in Ohio. Our global address is 41 degrees N. and 84 degrees W. Arc_Aca_DW@nwoca.Ohio.gov
March 5 Here in Mankato, MN we have seen many robins. We have seen groups of three at a time as early as March 5. Some students report seeing the birds as early as February 20. zarn@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
March 5 In my report of March 5, I erroneously stated that I may have seen the first Canadian sighting of a robin. I meant to say, Eastern Canada! On March 6, I had 8 robins in my front yard. They no doubt were swept northward by a brief blast of warm, southern air, as temperatures rose to +15C in the afternoon of March 7. But, within hours, the temperature dropped to -5C with 5-10cm of snow. Where will my robin friends find food? Stay tuned! doplhiss@village.ca
March 7 We are reporting from Spring Arbor, Michigain . Robins have returned to our area this past week. On March 7th Zane saw a robin in a nest in his pine tree .March 10th Tom Fritz spotted several in his woods. This weekend we had temperatures of 65 degrees and most of the class saw many robins. Our location is 84.6 W and 42.1.N. It feels like Spring is here - it is near 70 degrees out now. Robyn Sawyer, Mrs Huntzinger's 5th grade Warner Elementary, Spring Arbor, MI sharon@trillium.soe.umich.edu
March 8 Dear Robin watchers, The first confirmed robin sighting on Titus Elementary ground was by Morgan Killian-Moseley on 3/8/95 at 11:00 AM. Titus Elemantary is in Warrington, Pa. Warrington is near Philadelphia. Your fellow robin watcher, Morgan hes00011@llpptn.ll.pbs.org Global Address: 40'15" North, 75'15" West
March 9 I have a pair of robins building a nest in my holly bush in my front yard. Three years ago, when robins did this, we were able to see inside the nest from the porch. Our whole family watched the two birds raise their four babies. Our daffodils began to bloom a week ago. No tulips yet, no leaves either. We're near Greenville, SC. CAThorn@aol.com
March 10 Mrs. Hendrickson's third grade class sighted the first robins in our area on Friday, March 10th at about 4 o'clock. These robins were sighted on the ground. Over the week-end, several more sightings were made by other students from her class. The temperature was in the low 40's at the time. So far, the average temperature in our area has not reached 36 degrees. Mrs Hendrickson's Class, Hawthorne Elementary School Albert Lea, MN 0241hwel@InforMNs.k12.MN.US
March 10 It was sighted by Mr.Chaput and Mrs.Chaput Fisher and daryl, Arlington Elementary Poughkeepsie, NY JD33@MARISTB.MARIST.EDU
March 10
Robins were sighted here in York, Nebraska on Friday, March 10, by one of my seventh grade students and by myself the next day. Our weather was quite warm (63 degrees Fahrenheit) with a strong (25 mph) wind out of the south which blew for several days. It was very humid (60% relative humidity) and our area is filled with thousands of migrating geese and ducks. They have been feeding in the corn and milo fields before moving on. gkloewer@esu6.esu6. k12.ne.us
March 11 I saw Robin on Sat.11th at 3:00 p.m. I was going on a walk and I saw it, taking a bath in a creek near my neighbors yard. West of Lake Bemidji. LT. 47-32-0.8 north lg. 94-49- 1W. It was a sunny day and all the snow was melting. Heather Haag Gamma pod 7th grade, Bemidji Middle School Bemidji, MN Emiller@mailbox.bemidji.msus.edu
March 11 We had spotted our first robin at 5 PM on Saturday 03/11/95. The robin was feeding in our bird feeder. We live seven miles south of Pittsburgh, PA in a town called Brentwood. Jim & Chris Kline AOL - JIMKLINE@aol.com
March 11 This morning I told my children I thought we'd see our first robin today. There was a balmy, brisk wind out of the south and unusually warm temperatures. Sure enough we saw one, just mintues after our conversation! Elizabeth Donnelly, Wayzata, MN
March 11 A Robin was sighted in Horseheads New York, on March, 11 1995. It was sighted in the afternoon about 2:00 by a sixth grader named Amanda Roy. Horseheads is about 1 hour northwest of Binghamton,New York. It is a town next to Elmira where I live and go to school. This is early for Robins in our area but we have had a very mild winter this year. Mary Keeler, Booth Elementary School mkeeler@cscrisc1.sct.boces.k12.ny.us
March 12 Hello from Mankato, Minnesota! Spotted 20 or more robins this morning on a walk. They probably flew in on the terrific southerly breezes. Yeah-spring is here! Peggy & Glenn Morris palsmgx@VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU
March 12 We spotted the first robin in Lincoln, NE on March 12 at 2: 00 p.m. CST. Mrs. Swanson's Fifth Grade Class, Fredstrom Elementary School Lincoln, NE
March 12 Ace saw a robin on Sunday, March 12, around noon. He lives in Saint Paul, Mn on the 45th parallel. Sincerely, The Jackson Robin Team Ace, Pao, Demarcus, Long, Amanda, Pachi, Mai Chao, and Carol Dye Jackson School jackson@solutions.solon.com
March 12
Several students in Miss Iffert's second grade class at Eagle Lake Elementary, near Mankato, Minnesota have seen robins since Sunday, March 12th. We have had temperatures with highs in the upper fifties and low sixties which is unseasonably warm. We didn't notice the wind direction. Second Grade, Eagle Lake Elementary liffer1@eagle.isd77.k12.mn.us
March 12 Greetings from Hopkins, Minnesota! Robin have been spotted in yards in our school neighborhood on Sunday, March 12. Laura Schumacher sue_dewitt@hopkins.k12.mn.us
March 13 Our global address is 45 degrees, 18' north, 93 degrees, 34',10" West. 1 robin was sighted by our media assistant in her front yard on the morning of 3/13. Three more robins were sighted by our teacher, Mrs. Kimball in her yard this morning. All 4 robins were sitting in trees. We have had 4 days of above normal temperatures with the temperature reaching 62 degrees on Saturday, the 11th of March. Very unusual for Minnesota! We wonder if this wave of warm weather brought the robins, or does the length of the photo period have more to do with the arrival of spring birds? From: Mrs. Kimball's 2nd grade class, Elk River, MN MARTYJANE@aol.com
March 13 First robin sighted 3/13/95, 47N 95W, No snow at time sighted. Garden City Elementary School, Brooklyn Center, MN
March 13 Hi from Nebraska: I saw about 10 robins at my house yesterday March 13. We had a strong south wind and the temperture was around 70 degrees yesterday. Our location is approximately 41 N and 99.5 W. John Burks, 8th grader bsankey@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us
March 14 Good morning from West St. Paul, Minnesota. We are in Mrs. Ryan's fourth grade class at Moreland Elementary. West St. Paul is a suburb of the capitol of Minnesota, St. Paul. The robins have returned to our city and there are reports that the tulips are up. Our isotherm average has been above 36 degrees for four days. However, since March is our snowiest month, we are sure spring is not quite here yet. 0197mlel@inforMNs.k12.MN.US
March 14 Dear Journey North, The Lewiston Third and Fourth Grade Students in Mrs. Kennedy's Class have seen numerous male robins eating at bird feeders around the area. They were spotted during the warm weather we had last weekend. We live in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The average temperature has been about 51 degrees F. for the past three days. The snow is almost gone here. The ice is melting on the lakes and it's all muddy from everything melting. Reporters: Cristy DeVos and Elizabeth Joyce Lewiston, Michigan bkennedy@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu
March 14 Robins are comming to Minnesota. First sighted March 14, 1995. Especially in Plymouth, MN at 95 degrees w and 45 degrees n. Melissa Claude in Ms. Reynolds 5th grade class at Sunset Hill School spotted the first robin on her driveway. 0284shel@informns.k12.mn.us
March 14 Yesterday March 14, 1995, our teacher, Ms. Lynn Talamini- Hervey saw a big, fat robin in the Peacham School back yard. We just put up our Journey North map yesterday! Peacham is in Vermont. Our global address is Latitute 44 and Longitude 72. It was 3:20 p.m. Another one was sighted by our teacher again this morning at 7:20 a.m. We want to send you another sighting when our class sees its first robin. We have been studying birds all winter in Peacham, Vermont Vtpeacham@aol.com
March 15
Hello, my name is Nicole McDowell. I am in the fifth grade at the Howell Road Elementary School in Valley Stream, N. Y. I saw the first robin of spring on March 15,1995 at 11:50 AM. My global address is 401/2 degrees lattitude and 74 degrees longitude. I was playing soccer with some of my friends. It was a sunny day and I had started to wonder about what our teacher Mr. PITTS had said about the robin and the others so I started to look and I found It. It was black with red from the neck down to just above the legs. He was pearched in a tree in back of a gate. ntannen@netcom.com
FEBRUARY SIGHTINGS February 18 & 19 Our school plumber saw two robins on 2/18 in Annandale, MN near Cedar Lake. Mr. Larry Wade saw a Robin February 19th at 10:00 a.m. at Worth Park in Minneapolis. Signed, Mrs. Ahlstrom's 4th grade kids sandy_ahlstrom@hopkins.k12.mn.us
February 28 First Robin sighting was 28 February 95 with the average temperture of that week 22 degrees. Our Longidute and Latitude of 105/39. Third Graders, Lewis Palmer Elemtary, Monument, Colorado bsl@csn.org
Copyright 1995, Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Journey North 125 North First Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 Phone: (612)339-6959