poor year for robins

[Keith Talbot]

not good news

Robins have worst breeding year on record in UK

[Blackbrook Eye]

You wouldn't think so in my garden, there are more Robins this year than I have ever seen, I spent a couple of hours in the hide on Wednesday and at one point there were five within a few yards of me, It just shows how easy it is to lose sight of the overall picture.

Keith

[Dae]

I have to agree with Keith, as I said in another thread, I've got up to 4 robins at the front feeders, and at the back at least 1 other robin. We also had various fledglings last spring as well, and all you can hear out on walks is robins singing at the top of their lungs every few paces. So there's plenty about here.

[Keith Talbot]

do we get migrant robins

maybe the numbers that are around are from foriegn shores

its the ' home grown ' that have had a poor year

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Keith Talbot

do we get migrant robins

maybe the numbers that are around are from foriegn shores

its the ' home grown ' that have had a poor year

Like many of our familiar garden birds, such as Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Starling, etc, our resident birds are boosted in the autumn by their continental cousins. European Robins do tend to be shyer birds than our own birds.

[Hedge Witch]

Interesting article Keith. I assume the decline is partly down to a decrease in food availability for the young.

I have finally started my mealworm "culture", and still have plenty of the shop bought ones. So the robins in my garden will be well fed in the spring (I hope).

The reason I'm raising my own it to save a bit of money.

[I think I've discovered an easy way to make your mealworms last longer - buy mini mealworm, sick them in a tub with some food (I'm using porridge oats and wholemeal flour with some slices of home-grown apple on top) and watch them grow. Lively little things they are, and they're growing really well. You get a lot more mealworm for your money because they cost very little to feed].

[Mungo]

I agree with everyone here, I have seen more Robins this year than I have ever seen

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

We have three in our garden and I see plenty down at the river.

Morning Hedge witch, is the part where you have to sick them in a tub really neccissary

Originally Posted by Hedge Witch

[I think I've discovered an easy way to make your mealworms last longer - buy mini mealworm, sick them in a tub with some food (I'm using porridge oats and wholemeal flour with some slices of home-grown apple on top)].

[Mungo]

Ewwwwwww

[heliart]

Lots around here, and I've just started feeding mealworms again, getting them built up for the breading season.