Disturbing Robin activity noted - Central Ohio

[mtnester]

OK, a few years ago, we noticed that "some" or a few, robins started enjoying an overwinter stay here in Central Ohio....probably due to the slightly warmer winters (37 degree line for worms and bugs) and the abundance of crabapple trees with plentiful supplemental fruit.

Last year, more robins stayed over than normal, and it was a pretty warm winter here.

This year - we are seeing the robins, in flocks, decimating the crab apples starting last week. It has been warm enough and wet enough for them to most likely get plenty of worms and bugs. However, we have NEVER seen them dip into the crab trees before mid February, when it is pretty cold. This winter, they are already eating them by the flock, which leaves none for the cold times when there are no worms and bugs, and leaves nothing for those birds that do migrate and come back in mid-February to eat, as they usually rely on those trees to carry them into the spring.

It has been warm as hell here this winter. Could it get frigid again? Oh yes. Could these birds, and their migrating counterparts, starve to death in February? I worry about that.

Now, we know robins do not feed off our feeders. We have tried throwing apples, grapes, bread, etc. out for them to eat. Is there a better way to feed robins if the weather and food supply turn critical for them without simply providing more food for the squirrels? Is anyone else seeing this terribly disturbing pattern this winter? We have considered getting live mealworms and using a platform feeder...

Suggestions, comments and observations would be welcome.

[wildflowergardener]

1. robins

My book says they prefer fruits, earthworms, insects. The book says raisins and fruits at the feeder.

Plants they'll eat from: cherry trees, strawberry patch, mulberry, pyracantha, mountain ash, chinatree berries, japanese and american barberry, honeysuckle, juniper, russian olive, grapes, cotoneaster fruit, virginia creeper, black gum, currant, date palm, persimmon, american beauty berry, bittrsweet, euonymus, sumac, madrone, cranberries, cabbage palmetto, camphor tree, pepper tree, chokecherries.

They also eat flies, caterpillars, spiders, grashoppers, ants, weevils, tiny fish.

Robins like their fruit over-ripe, where they get drunk on them.

This is from a book I have: The backyard bird-lovers guide by Jan Mahnken.

Oh - and the book says that they are very attracted to birdbaths - that they are more likely to come to a bird-bath than feeder - you might attract them to near the food with a heated birdbath.

I bought a mix that had freeze dried insects in it one time that they'd probably like - It was called Beetle Mania Mix.
http://www.favoritebirds.com/cat1.beetle-mania-mix/

I think they are here pretty much year round cold and all (St. Louis)

Meg