Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Postcard From Your Robin

Hey, it's me, your missing robin. I'm down here in Florida soaking up the sun and trying new foods. The flock and I are hanging out at FC's place. He's got a "lawn" of grass that was last mowed in September and it's full of insects to chase down.
He keeps his 10 acres pretty wild as do his "neighbors" so it's one big smorgasboard here on the West coast of Florida.
His woods are full of sparkleberry, last summer's seeds, and all kinds of insects. We ate most of his east palatka holly berries ... beat the waxwing clan to them. Hah!
It's not all easy of course. There are two evil black cats that sneak up the driveway from the place across the street. We have to watch out for them. Earleen (remember Earleen? red breast, kind of flighty?) found out about them the hard way and won't be coming back.
Festus (remember Festus? red breast, kind of goofy?) ate too many of the fermented palm berries and had a car accident. Feeding along the roadside is dangerous enough without being FUI.
All things considered, this is a pretty nice place to spend the winter. Lots of edgey woodlands, only the occasional cat threat, no 12 year old boys with BB guns (FC has some dark history there, but seems okay now), and a nice mix of local foods.
No nightcrawlers though. I'm hankering for the taste of a good Yankee nightcrawler. The earthworms down here are puny and they stay underground! Weird, these southerners.
Well, that's about it. Put a new bell on the cat and clean off my nesting shelf 'cause I'll be coming home next month.
Your pal,
Robin
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16 comments:

Alan said...

I still haven't seen a robin on my place yet nor any sandhill cranes in the places I usually see them in Gainesville. Been an odd winter that way (and a lot of other ways too).

I have seen a few red breasts in the Archer area though.

.....Alan.

Anonymous said...

You know, it just dawned on me that I don't see them very often in my neighborhood. Probably more food at your house.
As long as they don't eat my fish, they're welcome anytime... LOL!

SophieMae said...

They're everywhere! They're everywhere! We love to watch them advancing on the house. Every now and then, one will stop and worry a worm, jumping back and forth, pecking till he gets a good hold on it. They leave a fairly nasty little mess, but nothing like those ducks. One place we rented had a really nice screened porch in back, overlooking the pond. Apparently, the previous tenants had let the mallards and MUSCOVIES come in! Ever try to convince a muscovy he is no longer allowed in his playroom?

But I digress. Nice shot, per usual. As Alan said, odd winter. Redbuds and saucer & star magnolias have been blooming all over up here. Many are already standing on their pink petal carpets.

robin andrea said...

Our robins never write us notes, and they're here all winter, too. Dang, maybe I should put out some note paper and a pen.

threecollie said...

Robbie, my good friend! Thanks for writing! We MISS you!
But don't come back too soon; the weather is awful and the tame night crawlers in the compost bin (where we KNOW you loved to come steal a snack) all drowned during the ice rains a couple of weeks ago. We will look forward to seeing you in another month or so...meanwhile you can keep FC's family company with your cheerful calls! And stay out of the fermented berries!

Anonymous said...

Robins are having a big party at our place. Lots of pepper berries to get drunk of off as well as horse manure to breed bugs and worms. It is a regular smorgasbord. We do have two kittens and a puppy who are fascinated with them. Next year, things won't be quite so safe, but for now they are dancing up a storm.

Deb said...

Thanks for taking good care of my robins, FC! well, except for Earleen and Festus...:(

I can almost hear their song now. Two more months to go here.

Anonymous said...

I remember the first time I ever saw the Robins migrate. I was in southern Mo. (Gainsville), visiting friends. It was absolutely incredible as they flew over us by the thousands. We were watching from inside a metal barn and and you can imagine what the roof of that barn sounded like with so many passing over us. You don't see that here in the big city where I live. I'll be glad when the Robins come back because that will mean lovely spring is here! Great post, FC.

MinorcanMeteorolgist said...

I often see robins in the Publix parking lot picking off dropped birdseed from the Wild Birds Unlimited next door. None in the wild though :-(

R.Powers said...

Alan,
The sandhills have flown over my place a few times this winter. The robins are all along the roadways here in huge flocks. My morning lawn is covered with them some days.

Laura,
I think your fish are safe. You might shake that fat cat and see if he isn't holding a few robins :)

Sophie,
Those muscovies are tough to argue with.
Same here on the robins and the blooming redbuds, maples, etc.

Robin,
Hmmm...perhaps they should get out more, migrate, see the world. Then they'd have something to write home about.

ThreeCollie,
What happens in Florida, stays in Florida. Crazy party animals...

Cathy S,
Next year they'd better be on their toes, but for now, it's pass the fermented berries!
Horses? You're brave. I managed to avoid horse keeping.

Deb,
They sing? I haven't heard a word out of them. Maybe it's a seasonal thing.
Sorry about Earleen and Festus. Hope they weren't feeder favorites.

MoMadness,
I hope they bring you a wonderful spring, I know it's been icy out there this year.

HTeen,
I bet they're along the backroads out around Hastings and Spuds.

Juli said...

I saw a robin in my yard this morning and that's definitely not a common sight. When I lived "up north" robins were the most common bird around so when I see them down here, I'm all smiles. :) :) :)

Anonymous said...

we have seen more robins this year than in the past.we used to cook and eat the breast when we were kids tastes like quail. happy BD 49?

R.Powers said...

Juli,
Funny... how weird it would be to see one in the summer... for me they are a winter event.


Rick,
Thanks. 49 it is.

pissed off patricia said...

We have the rest of the world's robins down here. I don't think there's room for one more robin in our trees.

Anonymous said...

My wife and I have seen flocks of robins when we take our walks down the block, but they are always in flight or rustling the bushes (usually Brazilian pepper) alongside the road.

We still haven't seen them converge on our property en masse, unfortuantely...

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

So that's where the Robins go for the winter. I think they got a little mixed up because last week we saw a whole flock of them feeding in our back yard and today the snow flurries are coming down. Of course, last week the weather was bordering in the mid 60's.

Don't worry about our cats...they're too well fed and fat to be able to catch a bird...They're scoring "zero" in their lifetime so far.