The autumn has seen a lot of hedge cutting and tidying up; often at the expense of wildlife. Try not to be to tidy, a human trait, leave pond and lake edges wild and try to leave areas of berries. My holly tree has nearly been stripped already. It is an attractive tree but I am happy to lose the beauty for the sake of birds even if it was mainly pigeons. Around lakes it is important to leave areas of cover for the winter water birds such as the snipe otherwise we will lose our own and migrant birds from the area.

As December approaches it seems it is all about the Christmas season. Birds for the table are thought of such as duck, geese and turkeys (farm bred today). These sometimes adorn Christmas cards as well as partridges in pear trees and various common birds in snowy scenes. For me it is the robin that comes to mind. It is a little passerine that sings most of the year round, from dawn to dusk and tells you off with a very loud pip pip pip. It is hard to tell the sex as both male and female look alike and often the only way to distinguish them apart is when they pair up and mate.

 Robins have appeared on Christmas cards for decades. Maybe because it is the most visible bird in winter or from the association of the postmen who originally wore red coats. Another theory in Britain alone, is thought to be associated to Christ’s crucifixion where the robin was supposed to sing in Jesus’ ear then the blood from the thorns spill down the robin’s front making it red.

The bird was originally known as the redbreast but somehow the name Robin (derived from Robert) was linked to the bird. I think this name became recognised officially by the ornithologist club in the early 1950s. To the gardener or garden bird watcher they appear the friendliest and tamest of all our little birds. They are omnivores and tuck into worms, insects as well as seeds and fruit. However they are very territorial and aggressive that they sometimes inflict such awful injuries on each other that it can lead to death. Luckily the posturing and alarm calls are usually enough to see an intruder off. It will still be one of my favourites and I will do my utmost to supply him with food and a nest box.

I have cleaned out my bird boxes in time for the roosting of small birds through the winter in anticipation they may be used later as nests. Whatever the weather in January it is usually at its worst, whether it be heavy rain, strong winds, snow and ice. Throughout these harsh months ahead it is important that we do whatever we can to help our feathered friends and be seen as a delight to cheer us up the dreary days of winter.

Have a Good Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025.

Jess