This Week's Update Includes:

• News: What's Happening Now & What to Watch For
• Introduction: Northern Observation Posts
• Slideshow: Citizen Science
• Latest Maps: Where Are Robins Now?
• Report Your Sightings: What, Where & How
  
  

What's Happening Now
March came in like a lion. From the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, severe weather affected more than 17 states. But change is in the air! This is the first week that reports of "first" robins outnumber the "wave" reports:

The huge 1000+ waves have broken up into smaller flocks, and smaller flocks are breaking up to single birds starting to look for territories. Singing reports are still fewest, but they are on the increase.

• Florida, March 2: Until today, for 5 weeks I have had large waves and numbers of robins in my yard and all over the town. I believe, for all practical purposes, the robins are pretty much north of me now. We have had some very nice warm SW winds that are driving birds northward.
• Maryland, Mar. 1: The children were so excited to see "Mr. Robin" singing in the grass outside the school.

What to Watch For

• Practice: Learn the robin's true song
• Learn: How will you know if your first robin is a male or female? How can you tell when a robin is building a nest? Or when mother robin is sitting on her eggs? This Checklist of Spring Robin Observations will guide you. Share it with your family, friends, and neighbors near and far. Ask everyone to help watch for—and report—robins!
  • Checklist for Spring Robin Observations

An Illinois observer reported the first robin on March 3, saying: "The same date as our first sighting in 2011!" A Michigan observer noted, "This has been a strange year. Usually, I have the return of the red-winged blackbirds, the robins, and then the bluebirds. This year it has been reversed but at least the robins are back."

These sightings tell us interesting data about the spring 2012 migration. They came from citizen scientists in action. Reporting from their own backyards, anyone and everyone can be a citizen scientist. How can you contribute to scientific research and discovery? Find out in this week's slideshow:

• Citizen Science