I was out in the garden early this morning… the day was too beautiful to waste any of it inside! Temperatures had plummeted over night and at 9am, it was still -5 degrees in the garden. The air was crisp and the skies clear and my garden was full of melodious robin song. I have at least three pairs here and they are all singing and battling for their territories. The WildlifeKate patch is obviously THE territory to have… a constant food supply AND excellent purpose-built accommodation! I have one robin nest box up and have another planned.
Did you know that the robin is one of the few birds in the UK that sing all year round. This is due to the need to hold onto their winter territories. Only for a short period in late summer while they are moulting and inconspicuous do robins stop singing. Both male and female robins sing, but the males have a more powerful song in the Spring than the females. The songs are different depending on the time of year. The autumn song starts after the moult, from late summer onwards. It is more subdued and melancholy in its tone. The spring song is more powerful and varied as it must defend a territory and attract a mate.
I have not had the chance to partake in much photography lately, so, armed with the 100-400mm lens, my aim was to try to capture some shots that captured the wonderfully pure and uplifting nature of these beautiful birds.
With a sunny day and the robins generally choosing to sing with bright sky behind them, or with a twig right in front of them, it was quite a challenge!
Here are a couple of my favourites and the rest can be seen on my Flickr account by following the link below:
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