American Robin - Merle d’Amérique
In this part of the world, these birds used to be migratory, leaving late fall and, when they returned in early spring, herald of the end of winter.
Now they are as likely to stay as to go, making some instinctive calculation with the berry crop - looks good for the winter, or not.
A smallish flock is residing in and around Mud Lake this winter. They have been fighting the Waxwings for the berry crop, and fighting each other - and the still hanging in Hermit Thrush - for access to a tiny patch of open water at the base of the ridge between Mud Lake and the Ottawa River.
The open water is very tiny, and more or less inexplicable: it is like a ditch across from the Lake, beside the road that runs across the north side of the Lake. It has been open water in the days of -30. This may have something to do with the fact that the water (which looks like it could fit in a couple of bathtubs) is full - full! - of tiny fish.
The Robins come by and pick a fish out of the water, drop it until it loses some of its vitality, and then swallow it whole. It is quite amazing to watch.
Among the Robins, there seems to be a dominant bird that patrols the open water, chasing away any competition. When on a very cold day I dropped by to see if I could find the Thrush, the Robin was unfazed, and stood its ground on a broken branch beside the pool of fish.
I don’t usually have Robins so unimpressed - not only did the bird not flush, it didn’t even look at me, maintaining its focus on other birds that might think of visiting the open water.
American Robin - Merle d’Amérique
In this part of the world, these birds used to be migratory, leaving late fall and, when they returned in early spring, herald of the end of winter.
Now they are as likely to stay as to go, making some instinctive calculation with the berry crop - looks good for the winter, or not.
A smallish flock is residing in and around Mud Lake this winter. They have been fighting the Waxwings for the berry crop, and fighting each other - and the still hanging in Hermit Thrush - for access to a tiny patch of open water at the base of the ridge between Mud Lake and the Ottawa River.
The open water is very tiny, and more or less inexplicable: it is like a ditch across from the Lake, beside the road that runs across the north side of the Lake. It has been open water in the days of -30. This may have something to do with the fact that the water (which looks like it could fit in a couple of bathtubs) is full - full! - of tiny fish.
The Robins come by and pick a fish out of the water, drop it until it loses some of its vitality, and then swallow it whole. It is quite amazing to watch.
Among the Robins, there seems to be a dominant bird that patrols the open water, chasing away any competition. When on a very cold day I dropped by to see if I could find the Thrush, the Robin was unfazed, and stood its ground on a broken branch beside the pool of fish.
I don’t usually have Robins so unimpressed - not only did the bird not flush, it didn’t even look at me, maintaining its focus on other birds that might think of visiting the open water.