flostog@trwspf.TRW.COM (Ron Garrison) (05/06/88)
I'm hoping that someone out there could answer a question for me. I grew up in Michigan, and the sight of a robin is very common. If I remember correctly, a common traight (sp) for robins was that they often hop in a manner similar to sparrows. Well I spent two years in Las Cruces New Mexico, and although there are not a lot of robins, they do live there. These robins are different though. They are smaller than the robins I'm used to seeing, and I have never seen them hop. Instead they run a la a road runner (though not nearly as fast). My father (a birdwatcher himself) came for a visit, and I pointed it out to him as well. He agreed with the differences, but could offer no explanation. ANYONE????????????????????? -- -- Flostog (Ron Garrison) TRW, Bldg O2-1768, One Space Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 UseNet: flostog@trwspf.trw.com ATT: 213.535.8602 ....!trwrb!trwspf!flostog Oh By The Way......... WHICH ONE'S PINK?
hjh@hpldola.HP.COM (Heather Hubbard) (05/10/88)
Here in Colorado Springs area (almost directly North of you) we have robins of the same road running gait. They hop occasionally but seem to prefer the short run, then stop and watch a while, then run a ways again. Do you remember a difference in the vegetation between your Eastern observations and here in the West? I can believe a hop would be more effective where the grass is taller and more lush. Is it possible the bug density is lower here in the arid West and those robins are just moving as quick as they can between snacks? I was watching a robin in my strawberry patch last weekend, running watching then pouncing. I saw him grab a worm - one of our monster worms about a 5 incher - and pull on it a while then let go and scurried off to look for something else. I suppose that worm pulled too hard for the robin to feel like struggling with it, but I was surprised the robin let the worm go. Wow, if the robins here are considered small the one's back East must be nearly chicken sized!