photo contest | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

Many backyard birders are surprised to see this traditional “herald of spring” hopping about in the depths of winter. Although many of our robins do migrate (hence the species name migratorius), an increasing number of these red-breasted songsters are passing the winter in Massachusetts each year. Winter robins rely on berries and other small fruits to survive the winter, so if you’d like to attract them to your yard, consider planting more native fruiting plants.

Learn more about how robins survive the cold months of winter on our website, and enjoy these five lovely photos of robins from past years of our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.

American robin © Richard Antinarelli

American robin in an American holly © Megan O’Leary

American robin in a cedar tree © Jane Parker

American robin eating berries © Lee Fortier

American robin eating berries © Elizabeth Fabiano

The return of wild turkeys to New England is a marvelous success story. When European settlers first arrived, these native birds were plentiful but rising populations and over-hunting led to their erradication—the last wild turkey in Massachusetts was killed on Mount Tom in 1851.

Thanks to the efforts of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (now known as Mass Wildlife), in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts, wild turkeys were reintroduced in the early 1970’s and are now plentiful once again.

Learn all about wild turkeys in the Nature & Wildlife section of our website. You’ll also find a list of upcoming programs about turkeys at our wildlife sanctuaries.

Let’s give thanks for turkeys with five fantastic photos from past submissions to our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest!