The robin needs a feed first
ON Christmas day we now have to take the dog for a walk before we open our presents. It’s torture!
However, it does give me the opportunity to look out for all our local wildlife and make sure the birds are fed in the garden before my mind wanders off to Santa Claus.
A lot of people will have received birdfeeders and hedgehog houses for Christmas, because they are lovely and useful gifts and they are helping wildlife.
These have become good, all-year presents.
Your garden is a great haven if the festivities are getting a bit too raucous, alternatively you could just stare out of your window and count the birds as they land.
We also study the mouse that appears under the bird table to tidy up after the messy birds.
One bird you are almost certain to see is the robin. Popping out into the garden or walking along our back lanes usually means an encounter with Britain’s most popular bird.
Sometimes you can hear them first, squabbling with other robins or birds which have strayed into their territory. They have become the most popular Christmas card bird, mainly because of that bright red breast and white belly.
While wrens are the UK’s most common bird, they tend to flit around and hide, but robins don’t hide, they make their presence felt, singing from prominent branches in parks, scrub and woodland. You will see more robins during winter with the arrival of continental migrants, popping over to our warm winter. This means we have around 100,000 of these beautiful birds in our region during the colder months.
It’s no wonder we see so many around.
In spring you will have noticed gold and mottled brown birds that look like robins – they are robins!
Young robins do not get a red breast straight away.
It’s not often you will see more than one robin in an area as they are fiercely territorial.
It’s only during the breeding season that a female is allowed into a male’s territory.
I am blessed living in such a lovely area, so a walk before pressies is not such a chore. And if it means I am paying back a robin that gives me such joy throughout the year, it is all worthwhile.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone.
» The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 Local Nature Reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The Trust has 28,000 members, and over 1,200 volunteers. To become a member, go to the website at www. lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.