An ornithologist once told us that sometimes older male robins will stay the winter here in southwest Michigan to have the first shot at the returning females in the spring. It is pretty uncommon to see Sandhill Cranes at this time of year but we've seen several. Hopefully they're not freezing their asses off, as it is -10 degrees this morning.

I've had a pair hanging out here, NE Indiana, for about a week now.
10 degrees out, about 16" of snow on the ground. Eating Crab Apples.
Seed in the backyard feeder, meal worms on the way.

Had a male robin in our yard the other day, a little earlier than expected.

My folks used to have a few hawthorn trees where a few robins would stick around in the winter (northern Kentucky) and feast on the berries.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
7 degrees outside now. While we had some yesterday, I'll have to wonder if they'll make it. Probably I guess.

Saw one a couple days ago and he was looking pretty sluggish. Hopping around slowly on the ice, no attempt to fly. Temps in the teens, I think he was slowly freezing. He would move just out of my way if I approached and wouldn't let me catch him. He finally hid under a bush. I threw out a hand full if bird seed where I saw him last. Nothing else to do, hope he made it.

Hundreds of robins and cedar wax wings eating the berries from my pyracantha. The stripped them of all berries.

We have Robins that stay through the winter. Then when Spring comes for a couple of weeks we see an increase of ten fold of them.