Robins

[jamess]

Hi,

Any hints or tips on how to attract robins to the garden?

I've had a couple of very friendly robins in the past but I've gone months now without seeing one in the garden.

I've got all the food they like, I've got live mealworms which I give to the friendly blackbirds, and a Robin Food mix which is oats / other soft ground food.

Although this should attract a robin, I don't bother putting it out somwhere obvious in the garden because the starlings knock it back within minutes.

Does anyone have any good suggestions how to attract robins?

The only thing I can think of is to buy one of those small, hanging type cages which only a robin would be able to get through and be able to eat the worms and robin food.

Saying that, I bought a ground cage a few months back, which said only small birds could fit through, yet starlings managed to get through wiafter a bit of effort, so I'm a bit skeptical if a robin cage could prevent starlings anyway.

[slimrbp]

I think it is just seasonal, 'our' Robin is visiting the garden less frequently at the moment.

I found this little chart intersting as it shows their food demand is lower at this time of year. It is a link to a commercial site but their 'tips and tricks' section.

CJ WildBird Foods [UK]. Wild Bird food, seed, feeders, nest boxes, bird houses, water baths and more. Online Shop

Don't forget as well that Robins are very territorial, if I remember rightly after the breeding season the Robin pair will break up and you will be left with one unless their territoires intersect.

[Littlesparrow]

Our robin or robins tend to visit after we have dug over the garden, they seem more interested in this than anything we put out. It changes in the winter when it is cold,then they come back to the feeder and have mixed bird feed and fat based foods.

[rossy]

as posted above robins will reappear over the winter , its the same in my garden , having said that had a young one in, next thing had 2 adults in, one chasing the other, so i think patience is needed, and more than likely your red breasted friend will be back, as they dont forget where to get a supply of grub in winter, rossy.

[the naturelover]

maybe im just lucky but mine are still coming every day to bathe in the bird bath then sit and sing to me from the top of my blue spruce. they arn't feeding at the moment unless im digging in the veg patch then they are so close i can touch them. as for feeders i've spent tens of pounds on various ones mainly to stop the wood pigeons none seen very satisfactory. what i seem to be missing at the moment are the gold and green finches and the chaffinches. havn't seen any for weeks till this morning when one goldfinch appeared. he ho thats nature for you i'm sure all will be back with a vengence when it turns a bit colder. good luck. tn