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Subject:

Black-backed Robins

From:

Paul Bystrak

Reply-To:

Paul Bystrak

Date:

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:51:13 -0500

Are there more than more than one black-backed form of American 
Robin?  I was not aware that black-backed robins are at all unusual 
in Maryland.  If memory serves, the first time I saw one was on the 
Ocean City Christmas Count in 1964.  I was a high school student, 
covering the South Point territory with Gladys Cole.  At one point 
she said, in her beautiful South Carolina drawl, "Oh look, there's a 
Yankee Robin!"  with Yankee said in such a tone that it wasn't 
necessarily a complement.  She explained to me that the ones with the 
black backs come from the farthest north, and to them, a South Point 
winter was like a summer vacation.  They seem to be regular but 
uncommon on the lower shore, and always remind me of her.  Of the 4 
robins at my bird bath this morning, one was a black-backed 
individual.  Speaking of robins, I have a regular robin coming to my 
feeder to eat raisins - the first time I have ever seen that.  He 
stops by 5-6 times and goes through a handful a day. He likes tart 
cherry raisins too, but so do I and they are very expensive, so he 
gets the cheap Wal-Mart raisins.

Paul Bystrak

3709 Devonshire Drive
Salisbury, MD 21804
410-572-9950
443-783-1268 (cell)