ROBINS are amazing birds – and perhaps the most amazing thing of all about them is that they are pals with people.
While almost every other bird considers us their mortal enemy – a reputation forged by our behaviour over hundreds and thousands of years – the robin (spideog in Irish) has bucked the trend.
Dúlra can’t work out why it alone in the bird world thinks so differently, but every time one sings from the holly tree at the front door he’s delighted that they do. Because you couldn’t pick a better, more beautiful or more musical bird to be our friend.
Dúlra thinks it might have something to do with the robin’s eating routine. It’s said that in ancient Ireland they partnered up with the wild boars foraging in the forests. As the animal brushed over leaves and turned up soil with its famous snout, the robin would hop down off its back to dine on the worms and insects that were newly exposed.
When we wiped out the boars, the robins saw us as their natural replacement. As we farmed the land – and later tended the garden – the robin would be metaphorically on our shoulder, watching as we helpfully uncovered its next meal.
So we were no longer the threat that every other bird considered us to be, but in fact a source of sustenance.
And the love-in is mutual, so much so that the robin became a regular feature on our Christmas cards.
And this week two readers highlighted how that familiarity has reached new levels. Here are two robin nests in West Belfast – one is inside a garden hose in Coolnasilla, the other in a workman’s garage in Mount Eagles.
The Coolnasilla robins have built their nest in what must have seemed the perfect location. Inside the hose reel it’s waterproof and sheltered from the elements – it’s probably where the birds roosted at night through the winter and then, come spring, they thought it was the perfect spot for their nest.
The Coolnasilla hose nest
And in many ways it is – certainly no cat will get near it – and cats are perhaps the robin’s biggest persecutor, more so than birds of prey. Cat lovers should be aware that in Ireland their pet is as invasive a species as grey squirrels or mink.
Thankfully the nest was spotted last week before the hose was used for the first time since winter, or the robins’ world would have literally collapsed.
Now the homeowners can keep an eye on the birds – they are sitting on five eggs – and enjoy watching the chicks being reared.
The bad news for the gardeners is that robins lay at least two clutches of eggs – the record is five which were laid by what must be the ultimate avian parents – so the hose will be out of commission for most of the summer.
It’s a small price to pay to help nature and also to get a unique view of a family of robins being reared.
The second nest – which also has five beautiful brown eggs – was discovered by a workman in Mount Eagles as he was collecting his materials from the garage on his way out to work.
The birds had flown into the open garage and built their nest on a shelf behind some paint tins. Again, it’s a safe, warm and dry place, well away from any prying eyes.
The reader made sure to leave the nest well alone and as you read this the chicks should be born.
Robins love to build their nests in nooks and crannies - they don’t do trees. They have learned to rely on us for their worms and beetles, and now they are trusting us with their most precious possession – their families.
• If you’ve seen or photographed anything interesting, you can text Dúlra on 07801 414804.
