How to keep a robin happy
By Fleur
@Fleura (34927)
United Kingdom
January 23, 2022 4:58pm CST
Feeding the birds is quite a big thing in the UK these days. No longer just a case of throwing out a few crumbs for the sparrows or hanging up half a coconut so as to watch the acrobatics of the bluetits, it is a big industry with householders putting out all sorts of seed mixes to tempt a variety of different birds. Sometimes just for their own amusement but often to try to help small birds survive the winter and successfully fledge a brood or two of youngsters in spring.
While you can buy all sorts of different types of seed, and bird and wildlife charities including the RSPB recommend different mixes for different species, none of them suggest the simplest of interventions - simply moving a few things about outside - to keep your local robins (as well as a few other small birds) happy.
As any British gardener knows, as soon as you start digging, a robin will be watching to see what you turn up. So on these cold days, whenever I go outside, even if I don’t have any digging to do, I shuffle my feet about in the leafmould or turn over or move about a couple of the wooden planks I have in the veg. patch to walk on. Just pushing things about a bit reveals tidbits that a robin wouldn’t be able to access otherwise. Leaving a few bricks or pieces of wood on the surface of the soil and then moving them about every now and then (assuming they’re not frozen in place) to reveal whatever is underneath will make you popular with your local robin!
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.
12 people like this
12 responses
@DaddyEvil (174232)
• United States
23 Jan 22
Most people call me "Robb" since I rarely answer to "Robin" and wouldn't be likely to watch people gardening just to find a few bugs or worms hiding in their yard. 
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174232)
• United States
24 Jan 22
@Fleura Dad used to tell a story about one of my cousins. They took her fishing with them and ran out of worms, so went and dug more... Then caught her eating them.
I'm not going to eat them, no matter what condiments you put on them. 
I'm not going to eat them, no matter what condiments you put on them. 1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
24 Jan 22
@DaddyEvil No i wasn't planning on eating them either, I like worms 
Feel rather mean exposing any for the birds to eat, to be honest.
Feel rather mean exposing any for the birds to eat, to be honest.1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502198)
• Italy
24 Jan 22
I love robins, I have 4 that visit my garden (I recognize everyone of them), the smaller is friendly and cute.
This one follows me everywhere I go in the garden. When I have my garden basket with my tools inside, he goes inside to inspect. Yesterday we worked in the garage and he came inside to "chat" for a while.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
23 Jan 22
I always feed the birds during the winter. I have suet feeders up and I feed them peanuts at the deck. But the robins don't eat from feeders. They like berries. And I have plenty on the holly bushes. I have never thought about digging for them. Great idea.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208748)
• United States
24 Jan 22
What a cute bird pic! They usually come out here in the spring..maybe in a few more weeks they will start appearing.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (84699)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Jan 22
I am sure they are thankful for it, too.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
23 Jan 22
Apparently European robins in most of Europe are birds of woodland, and mostly stay away from humans. But in Britain they are very common in gardens and quite companionable with people working outside. One of the robins in my garden has taken food from my hand.
2 people like this
