Nature Says It All

American Robin

(Turdus migratorius)

How I love seeing robins return to Madison. Their song is music to my ears. During harsh winters, we think of their return. When they first come, they generally stay in groups. This robin was in the crab apple tree right outside our door. When you're quiet and give them space, you are able to take their photo. If I had run up to the tree, this beautiful bird would have flown away. This is just one tip in taking photos of birds. Be quiet and give them space. That's generally the #1 rule in taking photos of anything.

The robin became the state bird of Wisconsin in 1926-1927 and was named so by Wisconsin school children. It would be a bit over 20 years before state lawmakers made it law. It is a member of the thrush family. It is approximately 9 inches from bill to tail and is 12-16 inches from wingtip to wingtip.

After a rain, worms are close to the surface and it is fun to watch them feed. Robins bounce across the lawn in search of worms. I think this is fun to watch. It's an interested behavior. The robin sticks its beak into the ground and searches for worms which it then pulls out of the earth. Feast time!

Did you know that robins enjoy sweets? They enjoy berries, fruit, and even dough. Yes, dough. I certainly hadn't heard that before. They also enjoy caterpillars, snails, and spiders. If they eat too many honeysuckle berries, they appear drunk.

This beautiful bird runs and then breaks its movement. I have seen this countless of times and I'm sure you have too. This is what the robins are enjoyed. Watching them. I saw one who stopped and looked up at me.

In all the research I did for this post, I found a variety of answers to how long do they live. One article stated 6 years, another 5, and yet another 1. Who's right? I have no clue. How can they come up with this variety of lifespan?

Europeans who came to the U.S. gave the robin its name. At home, they had a European robin and missed it. Hence, robin became its name.