small bird watch - Page 5

Our robin has been feeding alongside his/her mate for the past week or so.  It all seems very sweet but the male (I presume it is anyway)  is determined to chase any bird that even looks at them!  He is also fond of lurkng in the bushes and divebombing the other birds - he particularly hates the dunnocks.  I spend a lot of time watching the birds too   

Our resident robin sits on an obelisk which has a feeder hanging inside it.  He furiously defends it, while yelling at anything that comes near him, but seems quite oblivious to the fact the blue and coal tits just go round the other side and munch away behind his back!  There are several other feeders about, but that particular one he thinks is his property.  He and his mate (I am assuming the aggressive one is the male from what I have read), usually nest in a certain patch of ivy on a fence near the top of the garden, and if i go near there he comes and sits on a pot and grumbles at me, maybe he thinks I am going to cut down the ivy - which I will, but only after he has done with it.  

This is a little baby robin who used to follow me all around the garden (July 2011) and eventually came to my hand for food.  Didn't see any baby robins last year but am keeping fingers crossed for more this year.

Lovely pic Caz, great that he used to eat out of your hand.

I had a similar helper last year we called him Scruff, been in a few Robin wars I think. He would come really close and wait for worms or even better vine weavil grubs, they were his favourite

Hollie - it was the vine weevil grubs that finally made him brave enough to eat from my hand.  Glad someone else gives their birds names too

It seems that most of the wintering Blackcaps come from western Europe and start to return there as the breeding season approaches.

Last couple of evenings, there's been a blackbird in the same spot,singing his heart out

Siskin and goldfinch at lunch today