One day they were here, then the next they were gone. All of them. Robins.
Where on earth do they go?
Though they are migratory songbirds, robins generally hang around in Central Virginia. Two winters ago, I had at least one robin that stayed in or near our yard throughout the winter. But I bet a dollar to a doughnut that in a few weeks, on a wet, cool morning, there will be a hundred robins in or near our yard. They’ll just show up.
Robins are notorious worm feeders, but earthworms often burrow out of range in summer – sometimes up to a foot and a half deep. The next best source of food for robins becomes bugs and such just beneath the leaves. Robins will scratch around like chickens to dislodge such juicy morsels.
Robins are members of the thrush family. They are often called “robin red-breasts” but their chests are really more of a reddish-orange. They are also one of the most aggressive birds in an average back yard. They are widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from as far north as Southern Canada to Central Mexico and over to the Pacific.
According to the Audubon Society, robins are active mostly during the day and assemble in large flocks at night. Their diets consist of invertebrates – such as beetle grubs, earthworms, and caterpillars – plus fruits and berries. The robin is one of the earliest bird species to lay eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning to its summer range from its winter range. Its nest consists of long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers, and is smeared with mud and often cushioned with grass or other soft materials. It is one of the first birds to sing at dawn, and its song consists of several discrete units that are repeated.
Don’t know where they are now – maybe in your yard – but I look forward to that one day soon when they all come back.