Up until last week, I assumed that robins did not spend winter in Wisconsin. Last Saturday I was walking through the outdoor space at Olbrich Botanical Gardens when I saw a flock of about 15-20 birds hanging around a large tree.

I first noticed them in the upper branches, backlit by the bright sky. From that vantage point, they looked like starlings. However, as I got closer I discovered they were actually robins.

Whenever I used to see robins in late February or March, I would take that as a sign of winter’s ending. It’s kind of sad, I’ll never be able to look at a robin in the early spring the same way again.