Date: 03/11/2008

Number: 1

The weather was cold(30's) and very windy, so I really wondered if any robins would make it here until the end of the week. (From the records I've kept for the past several years, the latest recording for the first robins sighted in the yard was the 15th, and that year was the exception. Usually they're here before that date). The sun peeked out for a bit around 5pm, and 2 male robins were sitting in the mountain ash tree. They then both proceeded to run along a brick retaining wall in and out of the arborvitaes, and after about 15 minutes got into a minor skirmish on the ground. I haven't seen the two of them since Tuesday. Today (3/13)I did see a lone robin on the neighbor's lawn, but it's probably one of the pair we already saw in our yard.

Today I was driving to an appointment in the area of a nearby lake, and there were no robins to be seen anywhere. It was near 50 and sunny, which is the warmest day this spring so far. Most of the ground is still covered with snow, but a lot of it is melting now and there is significant bare ground. I drove past a plowed up muddy area across from a small wetland and still no robins.

As an additional note, I haven't heard any redwing blackbirds, which is unusual by this time. And no grackles have arrived here either. It's been a very cold February, and this year we've got the 4th highest snowfall totals on record for this area so far. There has only been one V formation of geese flying over, and I've heard some sandhill cranes overhead. The geese usually are flying way before this time, so everything is running behind schedule so far at least in the near vicinity.

Waukesha, WI

Latitude: 43 Longitude: -88.2

Observed by: Susan
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