Robins?

[ladybirder]

Any about near you?

Every morning when I opened my blinds there would be between 1 - 3 Robins sitting on the fence watching and waiting for me to put some sunflower hearts out for them. Now there are none, not for quite a few days.

Do you think the cold has killed them? Are you still seeing any in your garden, coming to your feeders perhaps?

[diddlydo]

Yes - no absence of robins in my garden. As I have a bird phobia they frighten me to death such that I can't garden if they come anywhere near me which they always do. Help!

[Captain2]

We have three, as per usual, two that seem to be a pair as they are always together, hope they use their special nesting box this year. Also have the fattest, most rotund robin I've ever seen and he is virtually tame now, coming in when we are in the garden. It's lovely.

[diddlydo]

Best answer will go to the person who has advice on how to stop them coming anywhere near me!

[Captain2]

diddlydo, just robins or all Hitchcockian birds? ;0)))

[maggiebee]

Love robins but only seem to have one hanging around the garden at the moment. No doubt in the Spring when I am out gardening he will follow me around as usual waiting for a feed of worms/grubs. Lots of blackbirds and the usual sparrows.

[ladybirder]

Would you normally have more than on Maggie?

Obviously no problems where you live Captain, lucky you.

What a shame you have a bird phobia Diddly. That must be awful. They do bring so many people a lot of joy.

I'm hoping next door's cat isn't to blame for my shortage. Mind you i don't know which would be the worst for the bird, being killed by a cat or freezing to death.

[maggiebee]

Ladybirder, yes I would normally have a couple of males and a couple of females. However, they are quite territorial so maybe boss robin has chased the others off. Hope they haven't gone far and will return in the spring.

[tiggerblue10]

I see them quite often now since I've moved to a more green area.

[gness]

This type of disappearance seems to be normal, LB. We can have umpteen chaffinches or sparrows, say, around the feeders for an age then one day all the chaffinches or all the sparrows will have disappeared sometimes for weeks.
It's the same for all the types of birds we have from the tiniest to the huge hooded crows.
A mystery why they all disappear suddenly like this but they do come back.
Just one robin here all the time.....hoping at least one more arrives soon!

[Khandro]

Plenty here, I hear them each morning when I take my dog out, they are the first birds to call in the morning just before dawn (blackbirds too) . Their call sounds like two coins being rapidly tapped together -tictictic.
They also have a song, but that comes later after daybreak.

[ladybirder]

Yes Maggie, being territorial I was surprised to see three in my garden in the past. I thought one might be an offspring but they didn't keep still long enough for me to see clearly which were male or female. Although if I remember correctly (not often these days), offspring soon get chased off by the parents.

That's good Tiggs, enjoy them. You should get a good variety, more than me as I live in the suburbs.

Diddly I could suggest you get a cat, but I won't;-)

[burlyshirley]

I only have one and he/she is always here. He's a bit cheeky at times and chases the other birds away, but they all get their fill, so he's no big threat. It can't possibly be the same robin, but I can't remember a time when I didn't have one bobbing about amongst all the food I put out.

[burlyshirley]

I also have a small flock of sparrows, but they are down in numbers at the minute. This often happens and I don't know why, but I do know they will be back, they always come back ! Maybe robins do the same?

[Khandro]

I remember that G.K. Chesterton once said, "If I was a robin, it wouldn't be my red breast I was proud of, it would be my beautiful elegant legs!"

[ladybirder]

Khandro, I just love that. Thank you, when mine come back I'll check the legs.
Robins stay here all winter unlike lots of other birds and there's not much food left in the countryside now but my feeder gets fresh stuff every day. A guy at the front of our flats (I'm at the back) told he's getting only one now instead of three at a time. I don't really think the cold has killed them as they puff up their feathers to keep themselves warm during the night.
BS, if you are interested, you can tell the male and female apart if they'll keep still long enough for you to look at the face. The grey on the forehead of the female comes down in a V shape into the red whereas in a male it is in a curve not a V.

[burlyshirley]

I'll try and check him/her out lb, if he ever lets me get close enough ...

[pixie374]

15:37, that's interesting, lb. For some reason, I had thought the females were more orange, and males red, but have been put right on that.
I have a client with one regular one, and there were two a few months ago, but now back to one.

[fiveleaves]

Robins are pretty robust birds used to British winters. One of the few birds to sing during the winter months. If you hear a bird singing in the dark this time of year it will be a robin

[Togo]

//Do you think the cold has killed them?//

Is there a neighbour with a cat? It is the biggest danger to birds near a feeder. We have 3 very precocious Robins one of them being very long and thin compared to the others. We call him Slim.

[ladybirder]

Yes I have a cat next door much cherished by its owner who shrugs his shoulders and says that's what cats do when his cat kills birds. I suggested a bell on a collar might help and his answer was that the collar could get caught on the fence and kill his cat. Hmmm ...