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.
Tips to Help Garden Birds
- Keep cats indoors at dusk and dawn, when birds are feeding.
- Don’t feed birds stale, mouldy or crusty bread (nor buttered bread, fat can smear on feathers, affecting weatherproofing and insulation).
- Never use coloured or tin bird houses (they overheat and attract predators).
- Read more on create safe havens for garden birds, and how to stop birds flying into windows (important especially for highly-territorial robins, to avoid them attacking their own reflections).
- Don’t play birdsong near birds, it can confuse and attract predators.
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!
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!
Bob the Robin is the lovely story of a friendship between one man and his red-breasted feathered friend. While working as a gardener, author Tony noticed a bold robin sitting on a branch of an old tree.
The robin glanced in his direction, but didn’t move. So Tony took a photo – the first of hundreds that began an extraordinary friendship that would last for years.
Never use flash photography near any wild creature, and use a zoom lens!
As Tony began sharing his pictures online, an outpouring of love began for one of England’s favourite birds, whose cheerful red breasts and beautiful song cheer up the dreariest days.
This informative book looks at the lives of robins everywhere – spirited and lively birds that although territorial, offer a connection with nature that is a moment of comfort and joy.
