Several readers have emailed to ask about the robins they’re seeing in their yards and neighborhoods. They wonder why the birds haven’t gone south. One reader suggested that perhaps the males were “marrying local girls.” No, its not romance. It's modification of climate. We have had and are having winters sufficiently mild, overall, to allow these birds to stick around. We have a resident flock of about 40 robins in the Wayzata area; some were in our yard yesterday. Also yesterday, two birders who belong to an email exchange network focusing on local birds reported flocks of "hundreds." Robins never migrated farther south than necessary to find mild weather. We might be seeing some surging, birds moving south and north with weather changes. And warmer conditions south of us (Iowa, Missouri) could prompt early spring migration, fattening our over-wintering flocks. The birds, by the way, subsist on berries and fruit still on trees, crab apples for instance. Protein? They find what they can. I've watched Wayzata robins dig in the snow behind a local bait shop for the dead minnows skimmed off the bait tanks. Here's a photo of one of those birds.

February is National Bird Feeding month. The theme is "An Introduction to the Wild-bird Feeding Hobby." You can find more details, including a link to a helpful NBFS “Guide to Better Bird Feeding” at: www.birdfeeding.org/nbfm.html

February is also the month for the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is your chance to contribute a bit to the science of ornithology without leaving home. Purpose of the count, which takes place Feb. 12-15, is to learn more about late-wnter bird distibutions. The event is sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Anyone can take part, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the count period and report their sightings online. You can find all the details on this citizen's science effort at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

This is the code of ethics published and promoted by the American Birding Association. It involves bird watching, bird feeding, and the use of nesting boxes.

Code of Birding Ethics

Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first.

1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.

1(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.

1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming.

Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas, or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area;

 Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover.

Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.

1(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.

1(d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

2. Respect the law, and the rights of others.

2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission.

2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.

2(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.

3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.

3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean, and free of decay or disease. It is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.

3(b) Maintain and clean nest structures regularly.

 3(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats and other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards.

Movies, disease, success and failure all play into one man's list of the Top 10 birds of the past decade. Take a look at David J. Ringer's selections. He offers an interesting look at species that made their mark, one way or another. The list is at http://djringer.com/birding/2009/12/15/top-10-birds-of-the-decade/. This proud-looking barnyard rooster is a New Hampshire resident, so didn't meet the fate of his Hong Kong cousins.