In a message dated 2/8/2007 5:23:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: As the number of Robins begins to decline keep an eye on any berry bushes that have retained their berries. Typically, a resident male will try to last through the winter and defend one of these bushes from other over-wintering frugivores like mockingbirds and Robins from further north. It's thought that these males are trying to protect a food source for their own use during the winter, Casey is right on the money with the above statement. I was trying to photograph a winter Hermit Thrush at Maumee Bay St Park last week. It was not easy as a male Robin was beating the daylights out of every bird that came close to his patch of sumac. I watched the Robin chase off the Hermit Thrush, two White-throated Sparrows, a Cardinal and he really throttled a Mourning Dove that landed too close. What a bully! I did finally get a nice shot of the Hermit despite the Robin's aggressiveness. Good Birding! Brian Zwiebel ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]