Greg, we have very different robins here too. Also our magpies are quite different from American ones. There's a photo of one of our magpies on my head on my photo page.
It's Autumn here now but our seasons are more easily defined by the old local Aboriginal calendars. We don't fit into European seasons. We are almost into the time of the flocking of young magpies and the territorial singing of mature ones ready for their Winter nesting. It's a time of change and of expectation of rain. A time of frog-song. Cheers, Joy