A day or two after the snow started melting and patches of the Albemarle County tundra appeared; the robins returned from Capistrano or from wherever they had been hanging out. Dozens – make that hundreds – of our red breasted friends swarmed in to take advantage of the worms and grubs which made their way towards the top of the ground.
Worms head deep in the dry, hot summertime and fall, but when they sense moisture, they move up – and become prime members of the food chain for robins.
The robins didn’t even have to be early to get their share of worms. The wiggling creatures were everywhere.
During the winter, robins are non-territorial and nomadic as they move around in search of food. If the weather is cool and the ground is moist, the robins will hang in flocks but come April the fights begin and robins will battle for squatters’ rights. Only two or three robin families will use our yard, and they will fight all summer.
But for now, the beautiful birds will share the feeding grounds and fatten up for the coming mating season.
