Category: Grubs

Robins a Sign of Spring?

American Robins, Turdus migratorius. Some migrate. Some don’t migrate. Either way, during winter they are often seen searching for earthworms, grubs, fruits and berries. Here at my cabin it’s not unusual to see flocks of robins congregating in the frigid temperatures, eating and taking advantage of the birdbath I keep thawed with a water warmer. I don’t look to them as a sign of spring.

When I see flocks of Robins I look for their buddies Cedar Waxwings, Bombycilla cedrorum. They often go for the same fruits, berries and thawed water. It doesn’t matter to me what they represent or don’t. I love to have them around.

Northern Flicker

A patch of the native plant, Smooth Sumac, Rhus glabra. A wonderful magnet for birds during the late winter and early spring.

Hard to decide which might be my favorite bird, but one that is right up there at the top, Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus, is one of the birds that is attracted to the rich crimson berries.

The place I would expect to find a Northern Flicker, unlike most other woodpeckers, is on the ground. They hunt for ant larvae and beetle grubs, pecking into the soil the way other woodpeckers would be pecking into a tree trunk.

During this part of the year though, it is in the Smooth Sumac where I often see these handsome birds.

And if my stars are lined up just right, I might be lucky and capture a flash of marvelous yellow.

Or perhaps I can catch one signaling to others, letting them know that it is safe to land.