Garden Club - Hello Mr Robin!

Since I have been able to get out in to my garden in January a robin had kept me company. He started sitting in the neighbour’s apple tree, he moved to the fence and then he got closer and closer. He is now happy to be about 60 cm (about the length of two school rulers) away from me as I work.

I have become totally distracted by my little robin friend. On my phone, there are now 100’s of robin photographs. I show all of my friends my photographs of what my robin is doing and how close he is getting, whether they want to see them or not.

I have been keeping my bird feeding station topped up. I could watch the squirrels for hours trying to get at the bird food. When I unearthed the feed station at the beginning of the year, it was quite clear it had taken quite a battering in the winter weather. Two of the feeders had been totally blown off the station and one so was badly damaged that it need to be replaced. We splashed out on some squirrel proof bird feeders and it has been quite entertaining watching them try.

We also have a mob of jackdaws who are very interested in the peanuts, but so far, they have also not been able to get to them either.

A green woodpecker has been popping in and poking about in the lawn. We had to get a wildlife book out to identify him as we have not seen one so close.

I hope all of these will be visiting my garden in a few weeks’ time, when it is the RSPB’s Garden Bird survey.

I have been looking out for signs of hedgehogs but there are none. It may be still too early and too cold for them to be out and about. I have hedgehog gaps in my fences with all three neighbours whose gardens attach to mine.

I have also found some signs of some unwelcome visitors. I love wildlife in my garden but some animals are not so welcome in my garden and they are rats. If I am to grow vegetables again this year, I am afraid they cannot stay.

If you have a fine day this week where you are, get out and have a look at what wild life you have in and around your garden this week.

Don't forget to record your time and what you have done in your diary, take photographs as you prepare your area for your evidence diary and you can record this as Garden Club.