February 8, 2012

Robins are a sure sign of spring.

Yesterday afternoon as I got home from some errands, I was greeted with my backyard filled with birds. The first thing I noticed when I got out of my car was how loud it was. Chirping! It reminded me of being in the bird rookery when all the hatchlings and fledglings are making loud demands for food to their parents. I definitely heard the robins before I saw them.

Our backyard backs into what my kids call "the forest", and that is kind of what it is. There is no development around us, just pasture on three sides and trees on the fourth. We have one tree in our yard that the birds were stripping it clean of berries.

The birds were everywhere; on the ground, in all the branches and flying in and out and through the yard. They hang out in groups. If one bird leaves, they all leave. Then they all come back at once. I couldn't count them, but I'm guessing at least 50 in the area of tree with berries and easily that more in the surrounding trees at the edge of the yard. Like I said, it was loud. I sat on the steps of the deck and listened and watched.