To worry about 'my robin'?

[InAPickle12345]

I know I am really!

But I've had a robin who's been visiting for 3 months minimum (maybe the same one previous years too? 😂) ... minute I open the patio door, he or she is straight down to me. I feed her/him every day, buy little worms and treats. But we've had a cold spell, -7 at its worst and consistently at least -4 every morning for the last 10ish days and no sign of them. It's warmed up yesterday. No sign yesterday, hoping to see them today... but what happens to robins in this cold weather? Tell me they survive it?

I'm irrationally concerned about 'my robin' 🙈

Years ago when I lived in my old house I had a robin who visited every morning. Same as you, we had a cold snap and he didn’t appear, I too was worried. But he reappeared again when it got warmer. I then moved and ‘he’ appeared again every morning. (Okay I know it’s highly unlikely to be the same one…….but I like to think it was lol)

He’s hiding somewhere to keep warm. His relative visits me and that’s what he said, when it’s cold we hide.

With you feeding daily he had a good chance of surviving a cold snap as he should have built up fat reserves. However, that wouldn't protect him from a lucky predator.
Or, as robins are territorial, he may have been forced off his patch.
Keep putting out food, another will come along soon.
They are so lovely when they feed from your hand.

You are not unreasonable at all! I, too, am soppy about wildlife and would be worried. I hope your robin is ok!

Okay, I'm gonna hope he's just hiding!!! Still no sign yet this morning which is strange as he'd pop over EVERY time I opened the door, I think he was getting a bit spoiled! 😂

@SorrowsPrayers I've been wondering if he might ever come into my hand and now I'm crazy excited! He's been getting soooo close 🤞

I'll keep you guys updated, and please keep your fingers crossed he's found a nice place to hide

In the words of the old nursery rhyme, OP:

The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow
And what will the robin do then, poor thing?
He'll sit in a barn to keep himself warm
And hide his head under his wing (poor thing).

Hope he comes bob-bob-bobbing back to you soon.

Sadly, robins don't live all that long - around a year, or two if they're lucky. Cold weather is a killer, unfortunately, as they're so light and vulnerable.

There's a fascinating book called The Robin: A Biography by Stephen Moss which charts a year in the life of robins. Very readable.

I love how they follow you round when gardening and how bold they are. And that insistent song.
Keep putting some food down OP and hope for the best.

You are a lovely person to care. And yes, please let us know when he bobs back.

Just what I was thinking!

I adore robins. If I'm at the allotment then one will appear next to me within minutes, hoping that I do some digging and uncover a worm or something for him.

Oh fab! I love that rhyme @AreThereSomewhereIslands! Hopefully my little one has found a nice barn to keep cosy in.

Thanks for the book recommendation @Lifeinlists, I'll look it up. ☺️

It's a little early (esp as so cold) but some robins do start looking for nest sites and nest building in January

Have you been putting food out regardless for it to find? Put a little bit somewhere in your garden.

However robins do only have very short lives (sorry but it is a fact) A maximum of 2 years. Many do struggle to survive winters sadly.

Hopefully as it is due to get milder over the next few days, your robin will return

Probably hiding and keeping warm somewhere in a barn/tree/bush , there’s a bush in my sheep field with a whole heap of them in I discovered during this snowy period.
Every time I fill the troughs they come rushing out to try and get the left over crumbs.

Did you know that some believe robins are signs that deceased loved ones are still with us?

After my dad died both me and my sister would see robins all the time. One used to come into their house and would perch on my niece's finger. I saw one on his grave once too. Even if there's no truth in it, it's still lovely.

I hope your robin makes an appearance soon, OP 🤞

I have heard this... and I actually do believe there could be some truth in it (and I would t consider myself a 'woo' type person)

One of the most notable stories I have is a friend who lost their father a few years ago. Was out cycling with the kids, stopped to look back at them and when he turned around, there was a robin perched right beside him on his handlebars. Stayed there long enough for him to get a picture. He was sure this was his father coming to say hello 😭

What an adorable thread!!! 😆 You sound lovely @InAPickle12345 and don't worry, your robin is OK. Birds have been around since the dinosaurs! (Indeed, the evolved from them!)

Also, just as a warning to people, if you see a bird and he/she looks fat, please don't assume they have eaten a lot ...! They puff out/fluff out their feathers to trap warmth in under their feathers. So if you are able, and can afford it, please get some suet pellets or mealworms, or get some birdseed (and put it in bird feeders,) and leave some food out for our dear feathered friends. 😍 They will love you for it.

And it's such a tonic to see the lovely little things munching the food you put out for them! ALSO, put a shallow dish full of water every day if you can, as with it being so cold, many places they would normally get water are frozen over!

Anyway, hope your little friend returns too OP! 🐦

@NeverTalksToStrangers2 · Today 12:18

Did you know that some believe robins are signs that deceased loved ones are still with us?

After my dad died both me and my sister would see robins all the time. One used to come into their house and would perch on my niece's finger. I saw one on his grave once too. Even if there's no truth in it, it's still lovely.

I have heard this too. Lovely isn't it?

'My' robin became a pair, and recently 3 when they all appeared at the same time. I feed them.
I am concerned about the woodies, they have gradually disappeared, also the various types of dove. I do have what seems to be some abandoned racing pigeons that have arrived in the last couple of months.
Rarely there is a green woodpecker but he was here this week, and a black & white one today, flew away before I go a better look. They must be struggling for food and water. Have had to thaw the birdbath every day. Pigeons sitting either side looking at each other in confusion in the mornings.

Oh no. This has nothing to do with the crows, has it?!

If you are putting food out remember to put something that water can sit in too. I use a pot saucer but a massive one. Every morning recently I have had to empty solid ice out of it. It is plastic so I can bend it and it removes it like an ice cube tray. I refill and all the birds including robins come to drink and bathe. Despite the cold we still have robins, blackbirds, sparrows and pigeons. I haven't had collared doves for a while now. I put food out every day and it is all gone by the next morning.

Last year I heated a pan of water and put it on the ice in the birdbath, melts it gradually.

This year I have been trudging up the garden with jugs of hot water to pour over and finally got the last of it melted yesterday, I put a plastic ball in which is meant to blow about and keep it from freezing. It didn't but made it easier to pull some of the ice off.

I have filled a plant pot with straw, and sat a plastic plant tray in it, seems to stop the bottom freezing and I am able to pull the ice out and refill, but as it isn't in the usual place they don't seem to use it. I need to re-design it, but rooting through old pots in the cold isn't easy when they are stuck together with ice.

I keep looking for some kind of heater but they all require a plug in source and have leads, which the squirrels chew through.

It's not true that the max lifespan is just a couple of years - some ringed wild Robins have reached double figures (and the European record is almost 20 years).

So if you are able, and can afford it, please get some suet pellets or mealworms, or get some birdseed (and put it in bird feeders,) and leave some food out for our dear feathered friends. 😍 They will love you for it.

Absolutely this, but can I just say don’t bother with fat balls this time of year because they freeze into little hard rocks!
I also sprinkle some suet on the ground as my Dunnocks don’t like the bird feeder and prefer eating from the ground.

When it snows I find our local park fills up with them begging food from walkers. So if you're round South London he might be there

One thing you can do to help birds survive is put out water that isn't frozen. Try to do it at the same time every day.