For much of my life I have known that the first robin heralded the beginning of spring. Every year the one who spotted the first robin yelled it out so everyone in the vicinity could get a glimpse of it.
Then about twenty years or so ago my brother Bob informed me if I watched closely, and spent more time observing, then I would notice that the redwing blackbirds were almost always ahead of the robins in their appearance.
About two weeks ago my wife pointed out there was a redwing eating seeds among the other birds feeding from the ground. I just had to see it for myself, but of course she was correct. The unmistakable yellow stripe was there on the shoulder like an Army badge.
Yesterday my brother Lawrence stopped by to chat for a while. He mentioned that he had not seen either a redwing or a robin. Less then 15 minutes later, I spotted a redwing in the maple out front of our house, and pointed it out to him.
Today I was minding my own business when my wife shrieked, “There’s a robin in the maple.” Sure enough there was one there, and within two or three minutes a second one appeared next to it. Within minutes they flew over to beneath an evergreen not too far away. A couple of minutes later they rose into the tree. Both, my wife and I, voiced our thought that it was probably the same pair that summered there last year, and raised four young’uns. The one on the left is numero uno for this year.
So to all those here in the northcountry that haven’t spotted one yet, the robins are back. Fishing season can’t be far away. I’m ready.
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