ROBINS IN THE KITCHEN

Summer has certainly been rather a washout so far and gardeners everywhere are groan8ng dismally at the sight of slug ravages crops, none existent strawberry crops and sulky tomatoes and yet for some it has ,seemingly been a bumper year.




This summer wet as it has been has also been a remarkably successful year for robins,all the pairs known to me have raised three broods each ans the garden is heaving with their progeny.

Spring born youngsters are already beginning to acquire their red breasts while the mid summer young still sport their spots. Younger still ,the recently hatched brood still have the wide yellow edges to their beaks and seem pathetically unsure of themselves in a world full of other ,more experienced birds. This ans the presence of a large nest of ants by the back door has lead to a minor invasion so that whenever the door is open I have young robins for company.

Pa and I breakfasted this morning with two of the newest fledglings searching the kitchen floor for crumbs and begging very prettily for more. While I am cooking one of these youngsters sits quietly on the top of the door just waiting for some small morsel to be accidentally dropped to the floor and of course it often does.
Before the kitchen door was opened this morning one stalwart little fellow came tapping boldly on the widow to attract my attention as I filled the kettle for our breakfast pot of tea.

One little chap,bolder still has taken to visiting my bedroom via the newly opened side window having discovered that I am often brought tea and toast by my son on his return from night shift.

Helping himself to crumbs from the plate has become a regular event and he has also become used to the television I my room,he is such a dear. Our cat Twiggy behaves impeccably whenever the robins are indoors,she treats them as family as she used to behave towards our budgie Charlie Bird.

Having pen mast of my life watching birds I can say with conviction that I have never know such a year ,not just for hatchlings but also for survivors as most young robins last less that a week once they are fledged, falling prey to cats,kestrels and other predators.

What it truly odd it the fact that in our gardens robins appear to have suspended the territorial behaviour for which they are notorious and it is not unusual to seen six adult birds feeding in our comparatively small yard.

Even the number of nests in our gardens is unusual there being enough territory for one breeding pair,we have three.

This behaviour has been developing over a period of around ten years and I confess self baffled by it as no where can I find any record of this type of behaviour.

Last year their was one quite fierce robin fight when a new comer arriver in early spring but within a week both pairs were nesting within twenty feet of each other....it is very odd.

I have always adored robins, for me they are special and over the years I have had man robin friends,this however is exceptional and we all feel very honoured by the trust placed in us by these cheeky little birds. If thins continue as they have done we shall not need to place our robin decorations on our Christmas tree this year...we shall have the real thing.