The Robins are happy in Port Townsend today - at least in my mothers yard,
which finally melted out enough to expose green grass and access to worms.
Also emerging from under the snow are Mom's Calendula's - a hardy annual
which had been blooming with it's bright orange flowers all through spring
to winter, until the snow. Still alive - will have to regrow the flowers
though.

There has been a dearth of Robin's around during the snow. Where'd they go?
Probably to the library, not to read but to eat hawthorn berries. Lawrence
St. (which leads uptown to the library) is lined with Washington Thorn
(Crataegus phaenopyrum) which is an attractive street tree loaded with
bright red berries which really stand out beautifully on the bare trees all
winter.

Well, almost all winter. The berries were all there a week ago, but maybe
all gone now? That's because in times like these Robins eat 'em all up. The
last stretch of extended cold here in PT I noted swarms of Robins horking
down those bright berries - in a week or so they ate about all of them.
Apparently the berries look better than they taste - maybe like Robin
hardtack , or the last food left in your backpack after an overextended
trip. Survival food.

Jeff Gibson
Port Townsend Wa
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