Not a sign of spring...

In the northern US, a lot of people associate the appearance of American Robins (turdus migratorius - stop giggling!) with the arrival of spring... however, what many people don't know is that robins are present in the northern States all year. They are considered nomadic birds meaning that they will travel in search of food, but they do not truly migrate. They are frequently found in the coldest months of winter in cedar bogs or forests, where they eat berries.

I keep a heated birdbath on our deck, which provides water during periods when the lakes and ponds are frozem. My reward is that I get birds that a lot folks don't see during the winter like Hermit Thrush and even yellow rumped warblers.

Had a terrible sinus headache today, so didn't get out and took only a few shots through the window. Feeling better now, so expect to be back to 100% tomorrow. And a good thing, because I have a busy day ahead.

The blue jays were hanging around this morning, so I took some peanuts out and spent the next 10 minutes being thoroughly entertained by their antics. It was very tempting to give you another blue jay today, but I decided to go with the robin just because I don't see them quite as frequently as the jays.

Thank you so very much for all the hearts, stars and comments on yesterday's rare blue-tailed hawk jay! He hurtled into the spotlight and stayed their most of the day. He's chuffed. And so am I.

And now, the holidays are officially over for us - tomorrow hubs goes back to work after having a couple of weeks off, and I get back to a more normal routine.

Ciao,
Debbi