"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
. net...
I believe robins prefer worms etc. If you want to provide food, you might
consider a trip to the local fishing tackle stockists for some maggots.
On
the other hand, especially at this time of year I would suggest that young
robins might need to learn to fend for themselves.

Paul DS.



The RSPB now recommends that we feed garden birds all year round. You can
buy mealworms mail order!!!!!!!! Bearing in mind the shock I once got when
I ordered stick insects for my kids in this way and promptly forgot about
them until I unwrapped the parcel and nearly dropped it in shock this may
not be a good idea! And no I do not feed my children stick incests!!!!

However, good pet shops stock them at reasonable prices and varying sizes.
When you put them on your bird table, make sure you place them in a
container with sides (don't need to be more than an inch high) or they will
all scarper.

Vicky

... And no I do not feed my children stick incests!!!!

Why not? They're tasty, cruchy and make great drinking straws when they're
finished.


However, good pet shops stock them at reasonable prices and varying
sizes.
When you put them on your bird table, make sure you place them in a
container with sides (don't need to be more than an inch high) or they
will
all scarper.

Visions of the little buggers standing up and looking around nervously,
then legging it. Tim.

On Tue, 01 Jul 2003 18:41:47 +0200, Tim
wrote:

... And no I do not feed my children stick incests!!!!

Why not? They're tasty, cruchy and make great drinking straws when
they're finished.


However, good pet shops stock them at reasonable prices and varying
sizes.
When you put them on your bird table, make sure you place them in a
container with sides (don't need to be more than an inch high) or they
will
all scarper.

Visions of the little buggers standing up and looking around nervously,
then legging it. Tim.


....to the soundtrack of The Great Escape.

On Tue, 01 Jul 2003 14:20:24 GMT, "Tony Bond"
wrote:

M C C wrote:
They keep perfectly well in their tubs in the fridge. If you don't
keep them cold they turn into flies :-)

Nah, you're thinking of maggots, mealworms turn into beatles

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
--
Stuart Baldwin
news\at/boxatrix\dot/co\dot/uk

"Albertine" wrote in message
...
Every morning a couple of robins hop into my kitchen and enjoy the few
crumbs of bread I toss on the mat for them. I'm wondering if there is
anything more tasty I could offer my visitors - or maybe I shouldn't
encourage them to feed food they haven't snapped up - naturally - from
the garden?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Melanie G

Well i know they like spiders, we had a regular visitor on the patio, would
always hang around picking up any morsels left when we move stuff around or
cleared out under pots. Then one day a spider ran across the lounge, being
the great softie I am I tried to catch it safely without hurting it, so I
could let it go outside, and finally got it on some paper, and took it to
the patio, dropped it off outside, and in swooped the robin and promptly ate
it. Strangely mixed feelings, but I think I favoured the robin in the end so
wasn't to distraught, just wished he come indoors to help himself to the
spiders.
Duncna

On Tue, 01 Jul 2003 21:52:20 +0100, wrote:

On Tue, 01 Jul 2003 14:20:24 GMT, "Tony Bond"
wrote:

M C C wrote:
They keep perfectly well in their tubs in the fridge. If you don't
keep them cold they turn into flies :-)

Nah, you're thinking of maggots, mealworms turn into beatles

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Ever wished you could take a newsgroup posting back ? :-)
Tim.

On Tue, 1 Jul 2003 17:06:33 +0100, "Brian Watson"
wrote:



Mine are regular stuffers on the seedy stuff that fills my hanging bird
feeder.

We have a regular one that comes to our allottment. You cant help but
love em.

Do we have a national bird in this country? If we don`t then I
nominate the Robin for it.

I second the motion.......
Hurrah for Robbins..........





"Chris Norton" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Jul 2003 17:06:33 +0100, "Brian Watson"
wrote:



Mine are regular stuffers on the seedy stuff that fills my hanging bird
feeder.

We have a regular one that comes to our allottment. You cant help but
love em.

Do we have a national bird in this country? If we don`t then I
nominate the Robin for it.

"Lee" wrote in message
. net...
I second the motion.......
Hurrah for Robbins..........

That's "robins", but I'll third it.

--
Brian
"Style advisor to the seasonally-challenged"

Doh!!!!

danm speeling mastikes
dirn dislexya




"Brian Watson" wrote in message
...

"Lee" wrote in message
. net...
I second the motion.......
Hurrah for Robbins..........

That's "robins", but I'll third it.

--
Brian
"Style advisor to the seasonally-challenged"

We installed a nesting box by our kitchen door. Two robins moved in and bred. To our horror, the fledgeling(s) fled the box before they could fly and in my panic I was climbing ladders and trying to persuade protesting fledgling back into the nest.

We were later told that robins know exactly what to do to ensure survival of at least one of their brood (by spreading the young around over several gardens, alarm systems etc). It is normal for fledglings to evacuate the nest before they can fly.

The mother is still feeding her young and we have found that their favourite food is mealworms bought over the net (www.birdfood.co.uk). They seem to be better kept than those we have bought at petshops. I know that the ethics of feeding wild birds are questionable but with urban cats they have such a precarious life and we are enjoying their company very much.

Mrs robin had a lovely bath on our patio today and she is quite adept at letting us know whenever she needs something!!

Rachel & Brian

you lucky peeps. i have juts finished my garden to the rear which i have
tried to make bird and bee friendly. just had the jackdaw and blue tit for
the odd peanut yet. plan to put up two nesting boxes one for sparrows and
one for blue tits.

mac
"hrafndot" wrote in message
news:c05b21303e603363d1e7fb915648fe12@TeraNews...
We installed a nesting box by our kitchen door. Two robins moved in and
bred. To our horror, the fledgeling(s) fled the box before they could
fly and in my panic I was climbing ladders and trying to persuade
protesting fledgling back into the nest.

We were later told that robins know exactly what to do to ensure
survival of at least one of their brood (by spreading the young around
over several gardens, alarm systems etc). It is normal for fledglings
to evacuate the nest before they can fly.

The mother is still feeding her young and we have found that their
favourite food is mealworms bought over the net (www.birdfood.co.uk).
They seem to be better kept than those we have bought at petshops. I
know that the ethics of feeding wild birds are questionable but with
urban cats they have such a precarious life and we are enjoying their
company very much.

Mrs robin had a lovely bath on our patio today and she is quite adept
at letting us know whenever she needs something!!

Rachel & Brian
--
hrafndot
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Our robins are still gorging mealworms. They have brought baby to see us (actually, they seem to be training him to feed homself) and he is skittering around nervously.

I have told Brian not to look at them in the eye cause they don't like it, but he disregards this because he has "a special relationship". Is the eye contact thing a myth?

The mother (I think) looks very bedraggled and appears to have lost all her tail feathers. Is this normal, is it a moult? Or has she had a narrow squeak with a cat?

Rachel & Brian

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 08:24:04 GMT, hrafndot
wrote:

~Our robins are still gorging mealworms. They have brought baby to see
~us (actually, they seem to be training him to feed homself) and he is
~skittering around nervously.
My local pair's youngster was sitting on the fence a few weeks ago
looking half-mottled and half into real feathers. Cute.

~
~I have told Brian not to look at them in the eye cause they don't like
~it, but he disregards this because he has "a special relationship". Is
~the eye contact thing a myth?
Dunno to this one

~The mother (I think) looks very bedraggled and appears to have lost all
~her tail feathers. Is this normal, is it a moult? Or has she had a
~narrow squeak with a cat?
They moult in summer after the babies have flown the nest anyway. I
came down Friday morning to discover merry hell in the conservatory,
which I'd left open about a handswidth. Turned out to be one of the
adults - heaven knows how it got in as the gap was way narrower than a
wingspan. Had great fun and games trying to get it out of behind the
monster cucumbers and back out the door. But it was extremely
bedraggled and only just recognisable as a robin - the vaguest hint of
red breast.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

what is an onmap plis?