Blog: the secret to not scaring them – act like a big herbivore!
I feel honoured when a robin approaches me and can’t help but smile when I see one, so how do you attract robins to the garden? It’s been very sunny, dry and cold this April, so I’ve been going out in the afternoons when it’s had a chance to warm up, doing plenty of digging and planting.
And that’s the key. At this time of year, nesting birds need every calorie they can get. Tiny birds like robins need one-third to a half of their body weight every day just to survive! Freshly-dug soil uncovers a smorgasbord of invertebrates with no effort on their part.
If you don’t fancy the digging option, robins are mostly ground or bird table feeders. They’re not keen on performing acrobatics on feeders unless desperate. Attract robins to the garden with mealworms, sunflower seed hearts and robin-specific fat/seed mixes are good options. In autumn and winter, robins will also eat berries and fruit.
Love is in the air
At one point, I had two robins within 1m of me – highly unusual as they are fiercely territorial. However, I saw them mating in the whitebeam tree a couple of hours later, so mystery solved! Males are generally resident, but females enter their territory during the breeding season, moving to nearby areas after chicks have fledged.
Another tip is to behave like a herbivore – honestly! Robins are known to follow boars on the continent as they dig up the earth, too. Moving in a slow, noisy way, with sideways glances, is said to calm the birds. Avoid moving in a stealthy, quiet way, trying to sneak up on birds – this is predator behaviour and will be viewed as such.
Also, avoid the nesting site, especially before the eggs hatch – birds will attack you. The nest is usually on the ground, at most 2m high. I suspect it must be somewhere in the hedge, so I’m avoiding clearing anywhere near it. We’ve all heard of tales of robins nesting in kettles and other odd places, but a sheltered depression will do.
Short life expectancy
Did you know the average life expectancy of the UK robin is just 13 months? Robins have very high mortality in their first year of life. Males have highly aggressive territorial behaviour. Disputes sometimes lead to fatalities, accounting for up to 10 per cent of adult deaths in some areas.
Despite their association with snowy Christmases, low temperatures and frozen ground can wreak havoc on populations – they can’t dig up insects or grubs. However, milder winters and a good food supply mean they can reach up to 19 years old. Robins are regarded as a good omen in our folklore and have got used to being unharmed by people. Apparently, this is not so on the continent, where birds are much warier of people.
I really feel like I’m getting to know the birds. After all, we’re sharing the same patch of earth for a time.
