A classical harbinger of spring in colder climes, robins appear in large numbers in mid-continent in late winter and early spring. Having spent a few days lately in a terribly bleak Illinois winter landscape, I can imagine the impact of a swarm of robins such as the one I experienced here in Humboldt. What we do not often recognize is that robins migrate through our area as well. Their movements are sometimes difficult to notice because large numbers remain both in summer and winter. Taking a moment to ponder what I had seen, it all made sense.
Savvy birders acknowledge that daily birding has almost nothing to do with rarities.
By the same token, the greatest part of bird-learning takes place as one ponders common birds. A smart birder maximizes opportunities to become more skilled by keeping this in mind. A personal calendar of birding events need not exist on paper. This April and May as the legions of southern-wintering insectivorous birds return to your Atlas block, make note of the changes you perceive. Birthdays and anniversaries aside, each day of the year can begin to assume a memorable significance all its own if you take a moment to ponder the events which continually dot the unwritten avian calendar.