Fighting for their lives
Robins that spent the winter in N.L. are struggling to find food
The long winter takes its toll on the birds that gambled just beyond their abilities to make it through.
Of course, some species evolved over time to operate successfully in winter. Take the black-capped chickadee, for example. Winter is no gamble for them — they have no troubles getting through our winter.
The black-capped chickadees are constantly picking at things. They find dormant insects and their egg cases hidden in the crevices of the tree bark and in the needles of spruce twigs. They thrive in winter. Who ever saw a dejected chickadee in the winter?
ROUGH FOR ROBINS
Robins, on the other hand, are not really made for overwintering in Newfoundland and Labrador.
There is a narrow window of possibility for them to do so during a good berry year. If they have a good food source, they can survive the cold and snow.
Robins have one addiction that gets some of them in trouble year after year: they love the dogberry.
The dogberry tree, also known as the mountain ash, is a common, widespread tree in the province. The annual berry crop can be zero one year, and then in the next year, have enough berries to redden the hills.
DOGBERRY CROP
This winter came in with a half decent crop of dogberries — enough to prompt some robins to override their instinctive need to migrate south last fall. They were lured by the sight of the bright red berries to stay behind.
It was party time. Gangs of 10 to 50 robins roamed the land, gorging on the winter berries wherever they went.
It was a grand life for the first two-thirds of the winter season. Then, almost overnight, the cupboard ran dry. The robins and their partymates, the Bohemian waxwings, had eaten everything.
Some took the immediate yet risky action to depart Newfoundland in midwinter. Instinct probably reminded them to migrate west to safety on the mainland.
However, a certain percentage of the robins stayed behind to eke out an existence in the nothingness.
DESPERATE SCENE
It was a desperate scene at times. During a spell of windy, snowy weather, I watched a little group of robins trying to make a meal out of dried-up snow berries.
This ornamental berry is shunned by most birds even when fresh and plump. You could sense the hopelessness in the demeanor of the robins as they sat, plump all fluffed out and staring blankly into space, while being buffeted by the cold wind.
They scrounged what they could. They would not give up no matter how bleak the outlook was, even with a full month of winter ahead before spring breaks.
ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL
By the last week of February, the remaining robins worked as individuals. There was not enough food around for the birds to be in flocks. It was all for one and one for all.
The pressure to survive brought out the robins dark inner self. It was fight or die — or maybe die from starvation anyway.
Lucky robins found a food source at a bird feeder where the home owners put out offerings of quartered apples, berries or grapes. Those lucky robins defended their food source from all others.
There were reports of robins engaged in a wrestling match rolling about on the snow pounding at each other with their sturdy yellow beaks.
It was indeed survival of the fittest.
FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES
As we enter March, the surviving robins will continue fighting for their lives, living one day at a time.
The robins will get breaks any time a thaw reopens up patches of ground and reveals old berries that had fallen off the trees earlier in the season. Spring robins will be arriving back in the province in just one month!
RETURNING ROBINS
These spring returnees will be in good health, having fattened up somewhere in the south, where the winters are much softer than here.
They will be greeted by the few worn out robins that survived the Newfoundland winter.
It will take time for the winter survivors to get themselves back into good robin shape as spring arrives.
The moral of this robin story is that it pays to do the right thing right from the beginning. Plan ahead. Secure your future by migrating south in the fall and back north in spring. Avoid being lured by the dogberry party scene.
SPRING IS COMING
On the optimistic side, the birds that were meant to be here in winter are feeling the promise of the spring ahead. Juncos are singing on the sunny days.
If you are lucky enough to be near a song sparrow that spent the winter nearby, you will be serenaded by their luscious singing every nice morning from now on.
The black-legged kittiwakes have come in from the open sea to investigate their nesting cliffs.
The birds know spring is coming.