The Robins Are Coming

There are hundreds of robins outside my studio window, flocks and flocks of them. They are eating the berries of our Carolina cherry laurel. The robins have been here for about two weeks or so. They've eaten almost every last berry, so I spent half an hour trying to get photos of them through the window. Every time the hawks scream they fly away in unison. All that's left behind is the whoosh of their wings.

Just so you won't get tired of all these bird photos I included a couple of tiles I made the other day. The first one is a stylized tree with a couple of birds in the tree, a pink one and a blue one. I might make another one with rectangles for leaves instead of circles.


The second one is a pine branch lying on the beach, I used a real shell with barnacles to texture the clay.


I was able to submit input on the robin migration map for my location. Last year I gave input on another site for the swallow tailed kite I saw here. I might have to make a few bird tiles, perhaps a robin head study, if I can achieve what's in my mind on clay.


When I was a kid I remember seeing a robin's nest with the beautiful blue eggs in it. Later I remember seeing the baby birds with closed eyes, no feathers, and worms their mother brought them in their fat stomachs.


I've always been drawn to birds even at a young age. You might recall the story, The Thicket, I wrote. If not click on the link to read about it. Of course several of my readers guessed it was based on my childhood.


I suspect the robins are fattening up for their northward migration. They move quickly intent on harvesting the berries and it's hard for me to get a photo since they are never still. Luckily I got these photos because now the robins are gone. They must be flying north to their breeding grounds. Keep an eye out, the robins are coming. Comments are welcome.