Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Isn't he lovely?

A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all Heaven in a rage.
William Blake 1757-1827

The pious bird with the scarlet breast,
Our little English robin.
William Wordsworth 1770-1850

Yesterday lunch time I knelt by the window hoping to snap the tits but got robin instead although he's too fat and keeps falling off. We now have a vertical feeder more suitable for him. We just have to get it out of the box and erect it.
Can you see him in flight?



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31 comments:

Queenie said...

"When the red red robin comes bob bob bobbin' along, there'll be no more sobbin'..." - lovely, Pat!

Barlinnie said...

Sadly the species seems to be declining Pat. I do hope that the breed does not vanish from our gardens entirely.

mapstew said...

We have a robin who drops by each day too! :¬)

xxx

Eryl said...

He is a very fat little robin, it might do him good to work for his lunch!

Anonymous said...

The Robin that comes to our garden is fat too, when I am in the garden he very often sits just above me and sings his head off. Hubby says he is just asking for more food. haha

lom said...

the commment above was me don't know what happen!

LOM

Granny Annie said...

Great photographs. And let me encourage everyone to click on each one to enlarge it for better viewing.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to see anything other than the crows which currently infest my back yard.

(BTW, you must provide Queen's English definitions for certain terms which flummox us colonials, dear. Otherwise we get weird images trying to figure out what "snap the tits" means.)

Cheers.

Kim Ayres said...

When you talked about snapping tits I was conerned about how cold the weather was down your way. However, how wonderful to capture the robin in mid flight - superb :)

Unknown said...

Lovely, Mum2! Try C.J.Wildbird food. They have a Robin mix. They love it! Order from the 'net.

Pat said...

Queenie: I'd forgotten that one:)

Jimmy: that would be awful. Magpies I wouldn't mine so much.

Mapstew: that's two then:)

Eryl: MTL says they fluff out their feathers to keep warm but yes he's fat.

LOM: that's three - maybe it's just in Scotland they are declining.

Granny Annie: good advice. They don't always but I'm pleased these do enlarge.

Randall: Sorry about the crows - they are like magpies - not my favourites. I am not going to rise to your observation:)

Kim: you can stand in the corner with Randall.
Think what a real photographer could do with a real camera.

John. G: you spoil them! I'm already giving them gorgeous apples to supplement. We have a large blackbird who tries to eat from the fat balls and he keeps falling off too. We must get the new bird station up.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I couldn't see him...But then, my eyesight is not so hot...I DID enlarge the pictures, but still wasn't able to see him. Oh Dear. That is rather worrisome.
BEAUTIFUL Feeder, my dear.

DILLIGAF said...

I feel so guilty to have been part of a firm that sang "When the red red robin come's bob-bob-bobbin along - shoot the b*st*rd!"

We were, however, refering to a local rival football team as opposed to the bird itself...;-)

They are magnificent pics babe.

I've always loved animals/birds/etc etc

More so as I get older.

I even slammed my anchors on to not run over a seagull yesterday.

They are worth as much - maybe more - than we are....to me anyroad.

Pat said...

Naomi: I'm really sad about that. The bottom one is the easiest - his red breast is under the green sac.

Four.D: you're forgiven. It's one of the perks of getting older - one appreciates wild life, nature and so many things one takes for granted when young.

Kevin Musgrove said...

very nice, thank you

Wilkinson's have started selling big tubs of dried mealworms, which go a bundle in my garden. The robin would sell its soul for them and even manages to chase off the woodpigeons to get more than its fair share

angryparsnip said...

What a beautiful Robin.
I really want to put food out for the birds but with all the destructive ground animals, pack rats for one. . I have been hesitant. Plus I want them to eat all the bugs that are trying to attack the house.

Leah said...

Sarge and I both loved your English Robin!

Gadjo Dilo said...

Yes, I can see him in flight, wow! He's like a fat, red, cheeky humming-bird!

Pat said...

Kevin; dried meal worms? I'll have to think about that:)

Parsnip: that 's a consideration - good thinking.

Leah: it's strange how our birds are different. I must google an American robin.

Gadjo: that's exactly what he looks like when he realises he's too heavy for the sac.

apprentice said...

He look highly indignant doesn't he?

What a great feeder thatt is.

I too was puzzled by Campbell's reaction - I think it may be to do with hitching your wagon to a now rather tarnished star. It must make you question whaty you saw as the high point of your life.

nursemyra said...

yes, I can see him, great capture

kenju said...

I love watching birds at feeders, but I've never had one, since I have cats. It seemed cruel to taunt them (the birds AND the cats!)

Pat said...

Anna: that's the best explanation of his behaviour I've seen.(Campbell not the robin)
It's too cold at present to erect our new bird feeder but watch this space:)

Nursemyra: glad you can see him too.

Judy: that's something I hadn't thought of. We get neighbours cats and I rattle the window at them and they just stare bleakly.

Unknown said...

34 Blackbirds in the garden at the same time today!

Charlie said...

When I looked at the first photo I too thought it was a hummingbird, which we have in abundance.

Much to my chagrin, however, we have NO robins in the desert. How I miss them, but they can't take the heat.

Pat said...

John.G: golly! What were you tempting them with?

Nea said...

Great shots Pat. Robins make me think of The Secret Garden. They are sociable creatures and I miss them here, but I've got a wagtail who turns up in the Spring and likes to come up close for a chat. We normally have a family of house-martins too, but they didn't come last year. I hope they come back this year.

Pat said...

Charlie: his wings look like a humming bird when he's hovering which is why I suspect he's taken over the mini conservatory. You are lucky to have humming birds - they are beautiful.

Nea: as long as you have some little birds to talk to. Robin makes us smile with his brazen cheek.
WV cramit!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Lovely shots here, makes me want to see spring in New England all the more ;)

Pat said...

Hi Diane. Is New England where you live? It's lovely there.

Pat said...
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