It is such a joy to have a pair of robins nesting in our garden close to the house, we delight in watching them dart around from dawn to dusk.
I get enormous satisfaction knowing that our garden is their world this spring, a world which they have identified as suitably safe to build their nest and raise their chicks. The nest is hidden in the Trachelospernum jasminoides against a west facing timber fence, tucked behind the Pittosporum ‘Green Elf’. Nearby is a large Hebe angustifolia as well as clipped yew columns; elsewhere in the garden is a support system for espalier apples and mature trees just outside the boundary wall; these provide shelter and viewing points as the robins dart around seeking food and keeping an eye out for predators and defending their territory. The garden is cat a dog-free which probably helps too.
There hasn’t been any noise from hatchlings but both parents are looking for food so we presume the eggs have hatched and the parents are spending huge amounts of energy and time providing food. A quick Google search reveals that robins have at least 2 broods a year; the female lays 4-6 eggs which she incubates for 13 days, the chicks fledge at 14 days but are looked after for another 21 days (quick calculation: nest build in Feb, eggs & chicks through March, fledglings April, repeat …).
It is a big responsibility having nesting birds in the garden, keeping away from the nest and not doing anything that might upset them. There are nesting wrens at the end of the garden too – it is beginning to feel restrictive!
I have pangs of guilt because I do not feed the birds, instead I prefer to create a rich biodiversity with plenty of different heights of plants, scent, nectar, pollen, berries, seed heads, long season of flowering, good soil health, lots of nest building materials…
Robins are omnivores and we have seen them fly up to the kitchen windows to pick off spiders from webs, there are still seeds on the Hebe and they follow me around especially when I am doing a spot of weeding or planting. There are plenty of invertebrates in the garden this time of year, earthworms, beetles, spiders, caterpillars, larvae, moths, midges… like a robin, you just have to sit quietly and open your eyes to appreciate this.
I am constantly amazed at their boldness and how close they come to me, I do not attempt to lure them to my hand like I believe you can do, instead I marvel at seeing them up close and listening to their soft chatter. Apparently robins can recognize. human faces, voices and the way you move, as a result they can learn to trust you as a friend rather than a foe. They are curious and spend more time watching us than the other way round, so it is no wonder they learn about our habits and when we might be about to un-niche an earthworm feast.