Robins

[Northern Lass]

I was sent a lovely photo of a Robin feeding from someone's hand today
what a marvellous thing.

We have a Robin's nest and they like mealworms so Wolvie was sent
to get some from Sainsburys but they didnt have any.

Anyone had a bird in the hand
(worth 2 in the bush I believe)

It's that time of year aint it spring!

[SRD]

A couple of years back MrsSRD organised for me to have a day at Mere Down Falconry where I handled several of the birds of prey, it was a fabulous day with shows of various hawks and owls flying to the glove (I even flew a young Barn Owl from my naked hand), the day climaxed with a walk round the bowl of the Downs that can be seen on the sites front page with a couple of Harris Hawks on the glove, letting them fly loose every so often and calling them back to the glove with a lure of a dead chick (a bit grue I agree but they are predators).

[Rob]

I've always been wary of hawks since seeing one take Kirk Douglas's eye out in The Vikings!!

[mikleed]

We need Hawks to get the Pidgeon population down ...although they won't attack the Wood Pidgeon !......at least I don't think ?

Mike.

[snoopysue]

My husband has a very non politically correct way of getting rid of pigeons, they do s**t on everything! I quite like their cooing though.

As for robins, not likely we'll have them sitting on our hands, they're more shy on the continent - last year I actually saw two males at the same time in our garden - it was spring though - normally if we do see two it's a male and female, but only in the spring.

[Antie Em]

Here's our favourite place to see birds : http://www.icbp.org/index.html - Well worth a visit

[snoopysue]

We saw a couple of redstarts in one of our nesting boxes yesterday, and today there are a couple of mallards on our (very overgrown) pond. All welcome!

[Annie]

Here's our favourite place to see birds : http://www.icbp.org/index.html - Well worth a visit

That looks a lovely place AuntieEm, I find places like that very interesting.

Our Robins are not tame wish they were.

Annie

[expat66]

I really miss English robins.
The North American version is quite different and not nearly so lovely.. hope attached jpg works!
Expat

[Northern Lass]

They are really different aren't they.

[expat66]

Yes....just another thing they do differently here!

We do have other awesome birds to compensate however...... bald eagles are actually common here... there are two that regularly sit on a dead tree next to the highway as you drive into town.... and we have lots of ospreys too.... you often see their nests on the telegraph poles next to rivers.

I think my favourite bird here is the Stellers jay..... it is the most incredible colour... an 'electric' blue...
photos don't really do it justice but I have attached a pic.

Expat

[expat66]

OOps!....

Stellers jay

Stellers Jay.jpg (7.82 KiB) Viewed 2368 times

Of course it does help if you actually attach the photo!
Expat

[Lulu]

Pleased to say Robin is still feeding from my hand. Went down to let the chickens out this morning and he was singing at me, telling me he wanted Breakfast. As soon as I got the food, he was hovering, like a Humming Bird in front of me, He couldn't wait for me to get my hand open.

Here is the handsome boy. I had to give him a name, so we shortened Robin and he is known as Rob.

2010_0620EasterRobin0021.JPG (118.5 KiB) Viewed 2354 times

Here he is just coming into land, the camera is resting on my inner arm, which is why my hand looks huge.

2010_0620EasterRobin0020.JPG (219.61 KiB) Viewed 2354 times

We've found he likes the small suet best, with a mix of insects and berries in it.

[Northern Lass]

That is a fabulous photo Lulu thanks posting that one

I keep meaning to get some mealworms sent Wolvie but he couldn't find
any at sainsburys so suppose I need a pet shop.

mine have flown the nest now, one fell from the nest and we had to
sort him it was so sad. But the others must be ok but not seen them.

And what a terrific name Rob!!

I may call mine Winnie

Winnie Wobin!!

[Lulu]

That's just Widiculous.

I was thinking about the Mealworms. It's quite possible they aren't allowed in a food store, even though they are dried, they still pong a bit. Sainsbury's do have the RSPB Suet, it's a bit pink and small, so suitable for Robins. If I hold out a mix of suet and worms, he always takes the suet now.

Apparently Live Mealworms are good but that is a whole other ball game.