Birds of Nebraska: Newspaper Accounts, 1854-1923

February 13, 1917. Omaha Morning Bee 46(205): 9.

Robin Red Breast Spring Harbinger

Groh Interviews the Cheerful Fellow, Who is Perched in a Cherry Tree.

Wife to Come Back Later

By A.R. Groh.

Whom do you think I saw yesterday?

Robin Red Breast, harbinger of spring. yes, sir.

He was busy, harbingering spring with all his might in our back yard. He was in a cherry tree. I walked slowly in his direction. He cocked a curious eye at me.

"Welcome, home, dear Red Breast," I said.

"Thank you kindly, sir," he replied, "but I fear came a little early. That warm day or two fooled me."

"You can't come too early to suit us," I said.

"Thank you," he said, "but you must remember that our nests aren't steam heated and the frozen ground makes our feet numb. That's why I'm sitting in the tree."

Gathers Up Crumbs.

"What in the world do you live on at this time of year?" I asked.

"Well," said Robin, "we would be in a tight place if it weren't for the Audubon society people and other friends, who throw crumbs out for us. For myself, I'd rather have a nice fat angle worm any day than the best bread on earth. But I'll manage to get along on this till the worms begin to appear.

"I was looking over the old nest and, I'm afraid wife and I will have to build a new one. Wind and rain and show have about done for the old one."

He looked up in a maple tree at the fluttering remnants of last year's nest.

"Do you mean to tell me you find your way back to the very same nest every year?" i cried in astonishment.

Robin smiled.

Finds Old Nest.

"Why, certainly," he said.

"But how can you?" I said. "Even a person couldn't do that?"

"Ah, we can do many things that persons can't do," he said. "My winter home is in a larch tree in the yard of a home near Birmingham, Ala. Wife is still down there. She'll be up in a few days. Her health isn't any too good. I just came ahead to have a look at the nest and get things ready."

"Just a minute and I'll get you some crumbs," I said.

Prefers Bugs.

"These crumbs are very good," said Robin. "Still, as I remarked before, I look forward to the good old worms and bugs."

"Well, just so you let our cherries alone, you can have all the worms and bugs you want," I declared.

Robin looked back.

"I didn't think that of you, sir," he said. "I took a few last year, just a very few. But after I had eaten about a thousand bugs and worms I felt you wouldn't mind if I took a cherry or two just as a sort of dessert. However, If you - "

"Dear Robin," I cried, "you just take all the cherries you want and welcome. Having your cheerful presence here is worth all the cherries on the tree."