Just to ask people to keep an eye out for robins.
At this time of the year, they are particularly vulnerable when they are looking for potential nesting sites, and can be easily become locked in sheds and garages etc, if left open for periods.
This has happened three times in my garden recently, but luckily, I noticed. just in time, before closing the door. This can also happen with other bird species such as wrens and blackbirds.
A totally unrelated robin incident happened today, when I found a poorly looking robin on my doorstep. I'm not sure what had happened to it, but minutes later it breathed its last.
I think it may have been the loser in a fight.
Robins built their nest in our box in February...really early. Thought they had made a mistake, but a couple of weeks ago they returned. Dad is now making lots of 'food' runs, so they've got at least one chick which we think arrived Friday. The bush the box is behind has only just started sprouting, so not a lot of cover for them yet, but makes it easier for us to watch them going in and out.
I always have a robin in my garden all year round and there is currently a pair busying themselves nest building. They like suet pellets. As an aside I clearly saw 3 swallows flying around today, that's very very early for them down here, quite encouraging.
I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I'm now wondering if the robin flew into the window, after being chased by a predator in blind panic, and consequently died from concussion, but I guess we'll never know for sure.