Acknowledgements

No matter how many times I place a drop of pond water beneath the lens of a microscope, I am awed by the myriad of wondrous heretofore invisible animals that suddenly materialize before my eyes. Whom should I thank for this breathtaking journey to Lilliput? The animals themselves, for being what they are? Or the microscope and those who created it, for making my trip possible?

A similar quandary faced me with the dedication of this book, for the robins portrayed herein are viewed not simply through my own eyes, but rather through a “microscope” constructed with details provided by more than a thousand ornithologists, birdwatchers, and bird lovers. Except for occasional attempts at humor and alliteration, my own contributions consist primarily of synthesis and, I hope, a few interesting insights. Most of the facts have come from others, many of whom spent weeks, months, even years observing robins in the field. Unfortunately, a great number of these men and women are now dead. But to all of them, I–as well as every reader of this book–owe a debt that cannot be repaid.

A second note of thanks goes to my mate, Patricia Anne Lemay, affectionately known as Pretty Pumpernickel, for her invaluable criticisms and suggestions, for her help in many phases of the library work, and above all for her genuine understanding of what this book has meant to me. I’d have dedicated this book to her, if only she were a robin.