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My friend the Rumple Le Robin

We have a vegetable patch at the top of our garden, and I spend many an hour or two in the evenings after work, weeding, hoeing and watering, and every time I arrive with the wheel barrow, who appears as if from know where a small lad called Rumple a scruffy looking robin with a faded rouge chest, he perches himself upon the wooden bench and chimers and chirps, muttering away, head to one side then the next...As I pull up weeds and faff about in the soil, he is right next to me, no more than an arms stretch away, skipping about pecking at the small mites, grubs and things, I often find the odd small caterpillar that I toss in his general direction and he practically catches before it hits the ground. One day I will take a camera up there with me.

Do any of you have birds that join in as you do the gardening ?

  • Hi CCC,

    That's a nice friend to have. A photo would be great. Have you tried offering him some mealworms in your palm? He may just be brave enough to be hand fed.

    Cheers, Linda.

    See my photos on Flickr

  • I've spent evenings for a week or so building a rockery. My friendly robin would be sitting on the fence, in the apple tree, or further along the rockery area waiting for me to dig up worms for him. I was joined by Mr Blackbird a few times too.

    A closed mouth gathers no foot.

  • CaptainCalamityClam said:

    We have a vegetable patch at the top of our garden, and I spend many an hour or two in the evenings after work, weeding, hoeing and watering, and every time I arrive with the wheel barrow, who appears as if from know where a small lad called Rumple a scruffy looking robin with a faded rouge chest, he perches himself upon the wooden bench and chimers and chirps, muttering away, head to one side then the next...As I pull up weeds and faff about in the soil, he is right next to me, no more than an arms stretch away, skipping about pecking at the small mites, grubs and things, I often find the odd small caterpillar that I toss in his general direction and he practically catches before it hits the ground. One day I will take a camera up there with me.

    Do any of you have birds that join in as you do the gardening ?

    You should see my Robin - http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/forums/p/17418/140998.aspx#140998

  • Hi CCC

    Your veggie patch and little friend sound lovely.

    My Mrs Blackbird is always with me when I'm out.... in the early spring she likes me to make the soil damp for her so she can gather mud for her nest and then for the rest of the spring and summer she keeps a check on my weeding and clears away any stray munchables, then in the autumn we had a very companionable time pottering about together.

    She has two baths a day and likes her bath water changed, often sitting on the edge watching me until I change it. 

    I also have mice in the garden. The babies are out of the nest for the first time today and being taught how to gather food and of course the ants happily carry away mealworms.

    My robin  sits on the fence dropping down  if he spies a worm and likes to sit on my garden light in the evening.

    It's a very small garden so we are in bumbling around together.

     It's wonderful isn't it

    Jaimie

    "out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I will meet you there"   Rumi

  •  

    I am often joined by a goldcrest ( yes there are some left) when I am up a ladder trimming my trees. :)

    S

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • We have a male blackbird that knocks on the window for raisins, when we were digging a trench for the garden electrics, he followed behind in the trench taking worms where he could. Absolutely no fear. I do believe birds get used to you especially when there is a treat around.

    Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain.
    ~ Mark Twain

  • The Robin and the Blackbird have always been the first ones to check the borders while  we worked and often came so close .It  is real nice having them so near.

     

     

    An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .

  • Sounds lovely CCC. The blackbirds and robin tend to hop around when I am gardening.

    Kind regards Jane.