Robins are here, winter has arrived

I recently spotted my first robin of the year – a sure sign winter has arrived.

Oddly enough, it was a solitary bird, scratching in my front yard. This is a bird that normally travels in large flocks.

The largest bird in the thrush family, the American robin is so named to distinguish it from other robin species that occur through Latin America and the Caribbean. For example, the clay-colored robin can be found in the Rio Grande Valley.

The American robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is the first sign of spring for many northern states, where it is said that winter is not over until the robin sings.

In our area, it is a winter visitor and easily recognized with its brick-red breast and white eye-ring.

In Florida, flocks in the thousands are not uncommon. But around here, a dozen birds would constitute a big gathering.

The robin is a relatively recent visitor to southern areas of Texas. For example, it was first recorded in Corpus Christi in 1967.

This bird feeds on insects, worms and berries and builds a sturdy nest of grass and mud. The female lays three to five eggs which are “robins-egg blue”.

Robins fly strongly and with endurance, but they also run and hop around on the ground, unlike birds such as hummingbirds, swifts and frigatebirds, which have rather tiny legs that are useless for locomotion.

Keep an eye out; with luck, you’ll see a red, red robin come bob, bob, bobbin’ along.