Wednesday Wings - Robin and Geese

In SW Michigan we get excited about spotting the first robin in mid-March.

The bird experts are quick to try and burst our bubble by explaining that some robins winter over in the woods. They're the first ones we see in the spring.

We only have a few robins in our yard so I'm guessing the migrants haven't arrived yet.

What's the difference if they come out of the woods or come from the south? It's still a special early spring moment when the first robin is spotted.

Notice the robin is a bit fluffed up. It isn't warm here yet.


This could be a problem. There are ponds and lakes in the area where it's impossible to walk without stepping in goose poop. I don't want our pond to become one of them.

The company where I used to work had a "goose dog" border collie whose job was to keep the geese off the property so we could walk on the sidewalks without sliding in their leavings. Before the dog, it was possible to get hit with a big white splat while walking in from the parking lot. One man had hundreds of dollars of damage to his car when a goose flew into his car door.

Until the county took down the dozen tall pine trees bordering our pond, the pond was surrounded by trees and our house. The geese didn't have room to glide in and we never had them on our property.

This year a few have discovered our pond. The welcome mat is not out.