Let’s Meet England’s Red-Breasted Robins
Beautiful robins are one of England’s favourite garden birds, known for their garden song and loyalty. Although there is an image of robins sitting on the gardener’s fork handle, this is not good. No-dig gardening is better, as it helps protect the earthworms that robins eat.
- If you live with cats, keep them indoors at dusk and dawn, when garden birds are likely feeding.
- Never give garden birds stale or mouldy bread (not buttered bread, as fat can smear on feathers, affecting weatherproofing and insulation).
- Never use brightly-coloured or tin bird houses, as they can overheat and attract predators.
- Read our posts on how to safe havens for garden birds. And how to stop birds flying into windows. This is very important especially for robins, as they are territorial birds, who could attack their own reflection.
A Love Letter to a Friendly Robin
Bob the Robin is the story of an incredible friendship between one man and a wild robin, and a beautiful celebration of one of England’s favourite birds.
When a robin appears, a loved one is near.
While working as a gardener in Kent, Tony noticed a bold robin sitting on the branch of an old plum tree. Obviously it’s good to leave birds alone, but as this robin glanced in his direction, Tony took a photograph.
This would be the start of an extraordinary friendship. In the wild, robins don’t live that long (most don’t survive past the first year). But Bob did, and the friendship lasted years.
As Tony shares his photos online, he witnessed an outpouring of love for robins everywhere. Although they are often perceived as ‘sitting on a gardener’s fork’, in fact forks can harm earthworms (and stag beetles), so it’s best to practice no-dig gardening.
Author Tony Putman is a gardener and passionate wildlife photographer, who has captivated the world, with his enchanting relationships with both a robin a a fox. Showing the extraordinary capacity for a connection between wildlife and humans.
Robins are one of England’s favourite birds. They actually start off brown, and are around all year.
The only reason that robins are associated with Christmas, is because posties used to wear red waistcoats!
Stonechat Birds (similar to robins, but different!)
Stonechat birds (there is one in the image above next to the gull, if you look closely!) are smaller than robins, but pretty similar in appearance. They live in heaths, bogs and conifer plantations.
These birds like blackberries and gorse bushes, and also eat dragonflies and grasshoppers.
They are so-called due to the call, which sounds like two stones being knocked together!
Male stonechats have orange breasts (rather than red breasts like robins) and black throats with a white ‘collar’, black heads and brown backs. Young stonechats and females are paler in colour.
If the stonechat has a pale eye-stripe (or pale tail marks), then it’s likely a whinchat.
Wildlife Trust writes that stonechats are often followed around by Dartford warblers (in southern England), who catch the small insects that the stonechats disturb!
