Birds - 5. Robins and Cowbirds

2 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

Wow... the poor robin has such an unfortunate Latin name.  It will be difficult to think of them as anything other than migratory turds now.    But your descriptions of both birds is spot on.   Thanks for sharing  

It’s an unfortunate name, but irresistible to try to put into poetry. The cowbird is a real danger to populations of warblers and flycatchers and one reason not to let development encroach on woodlands. Thanks for reading these! I’m very grateful.

I always liked the name 'Robin Redbreast'. Your poem is as charming as the little bird. Ours is Erithacus rubecula. No turd ;).

Cow birds We don't have those. Thank you for introducing them, I read interesting things.

23 minutes ago, aditus said:

I always liked the name 'Robin Redbreast'. Your poem is as charming as the little bird. Our's is Erithacus rubecula. No turd ;).

Cow birds We don't have those. Thank you for introducing them, I read interesting things.

 

Ours is much larger, really a thrush. But it sings so beautifully, despite its odd name. Thank you for reading these. I’m glad you met a new bird in them. 

The first sights and sounds of a robin in Spring bring me great joy. I look forward to their arrival every year. As for the cowbird... what cruel opportunists. They should have Turdus in their name.

Wonderful poems, Parker!

These are so accurate. I do love the robin... it is seldom a day goes by, in summer, when I don't see at least one hopping on my back lawn. I don't know if I've ever seen a cowbird, but I learned of them as a child, and I was horrified.   Thanks for these, Parker! Cheers... Gary....

20 minutes ago, MacGreg said:

The first sights and sounds of a robin in Spring bring me great joy. I look forward to their arrival every year. As for the cowbird... what cruel opportunists. They should have Turdus in their name.

Wonderful poems, Parker!

The cowbird poem was inspired by watching a pair of phoebes defend their nest from a cowbird earlier this spring. I hear the distinctive whistling call of that bird about the same time as the Robins return and start singing. Like you, I take enormous pleasure in the first spring Robins. 

8 minutes ago, Headstall said:

These are so accurate. I do love the robin... it is seldom a day goes by, in summer, when I don't see at least one hopping on my back lawn. I don't know if I've ever seen a cowbird, but I learned of them as a child, and I was horrified.   Thanks for these, Parker! Cheers... Gary....

Listen for the cowbird’s Wolf-whistle call, especially on roadsides that cut through woods and second growth. The song of the Robin always makes me smile. Thanks for reading these, and for your comments. 

1 minute ago, Parker Owens said:

The cowbird poem was inspired by watching a pair of phoebes defend their nest from a cowbird earlier this spring. I hear the distinctive whistling call of that bird about the same time as the Robins return and start singing. Like you, I take enormous pleasure in the first spring Robins. 

Another Springtime bird I'm happy to see is killdeer that show up at a small pond near my office. I've only ever seen this one lineage; a new generation arrives back each year, produces one or two offspring that hang out at the pond for a short time, then they go off to wherever they go next. The chicks are damn cute, the little buggers.

Yeah, I'm a bit of bird watcher... so what?

15 minutes ago, MacGreg said:

Another Springtime bird I'm happy to see is killdeer that show up at a small pond near my office. I've only ever seen this one lineage; a new generation arrives back each year, produces one or two offspring that hang out at the pond for a short time, then they go off to wherever they go next. The chicks are damn cute, the little buggers.

Yeah, I'm a bit of bird watcher... so what?

You and I share an enjoyment of birds. Killdeer are a favorite, though they are much less common now than they once were...

Having been called a Turdus Migratorius a few times in life, myself, I sure can sympathize with the poor Robin! But they are cheerful despite the handle, and pleasant singers, and I am always happy to have them in my yard.

Cowbirds I can do without. Who wants someone else's kids left on their doorstep? I read Grimm's Fairy Tales as a kid! I know what can happen with that!

I enjoyed the visits of both your verses, certainly. Despite the cowbird's deviltry, both poems were a wonderful addition to my spring!

3 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

Having been called a Turdus Migratorius a few times in life, myself, I sure can sympathize with the poor Robin! But they are cheerful despite the handle, and pleasant singers, and I am always happy to have them in my yard.

Cowbirds I can do without. Who wants someone else's kids left on their doorstep? I read Grimm's Fairy Tales as a kid! I know what can happen with that!

I enjoyed the visits of both your verses, certainly. Despite the cowbird's deviltry, both poems were a wonderful addition to my spring!

 

 

Thank you for reading and responding to these two birds. The robins often make a nest in the trumpet vine that grows on the arbor. My presence beneath the leafy branches always elicits a scolding. The cowbirds are a menace to some species of smaller birds. But they are such dull colored birds most people take no notice of them. Listen for their wolf whistle.