There may have been frost, and in some cases snow, on the ground this morning in southeastern Wisconsin, but spring is chugging along its way! Today we admitted our first American Robin of 2011! And now that the sun has shone on the lawn all day, the snow has already gone away...

While some amount of the Robin population stays in southern Wisconsin all year, the American Robin, official State Bird of Wisconsin, is a most common sight here throughout the summer months. They're often seen digging up earthworms, but they also eat a lot of fruit too! At WINC we feed the orphans a special protien mixture when they are young and transition them to solid foods including protiens fruits and berries.

Robins are often one of our most commonly admitted patient in the bird category. In 2010 we admitted 142, in 2009 141, and 118 in 2008. A large number of these are orphaned (or kidnapped), or injured, but we get many adults as well who get hit by vehicles, fly into windows, or get tangled up in strings and nets. In 2008 we got the most unsual one ever - it was an albino fledgling!

I hope you're keeping a journal of your spring animals as they return just like we are! Feel free to share them with us too!