Robins are always considered welcome visitors in gardens, but if they have been missing from yours recently, there’s a simple task you can do that will encourage them to come back. Wildlife experts have urged gardeners to do a small job in their gardens to help out our fine feathered friends.
Wildlife experts recently told Ideal Home that they should be digging up small patches in the garden to help out robins. The reason why you want to dig up soil and clear patches in the garden is because robins prefer to feed on the garden, rather than from bird feeders. The birds will often find their food sources in insects, worms, seeds and berries than can be found on the ground.
However, during the winter and colder months, it can be difficult for robins to find food when the ground has frozen over. Wildlife experts recommend digging up the ground and soil around the garden to help the birds in need.
Fay Brotherhood, an ecologist at Arbtech, told Ideal Home: “It can be challenging for robins to source suitable food in winter, particularly during a cold snap when the ground has frozen over, and fewer insects are available. But digging a small patch of soil in your garden each morning is one of the small acts gardeners can do to help.
“It’s an easy task that exposes hidden insects and gives robins access to the food sources they vitally need.”
You won’t need to dig up your whole garden, so don’t fret. Just use a garden fork to expose soil in small patches or a singular patch.
This will make it easier for robins and other ground-feeding birds to rummage around for their food.
If you are going to place food outside for the robins to snack on, there are a few things you need to remember. Wildlife specialists at Beaky Bites suggested using peanuts, alongside sunflower hearts or seeds, contain abundant fats.
These are high calorie food sources, which is exactly what robins will be needing when feasting in gardens. However, it’s important to remember that robins cannot consume salted food.
Their bodies can’t process salt, leading to dehydration, kidney failure or even death. The experts explained that birds should only be fed natural and unprocessed food due to their sensitive digestive systems, so ensure you only put out raw peanuts and seeds for robins.
The experts said: “Peanuts and sunflower hearts are healthy options robins love. These foods provide the proteins and fats they need. Sunflower hearts are particularly nutritious and are a robin favourite during breeding season.
“You can offer peanuts and sunflower hearts by scattering them on the ground or in platform feeders. These foods are not only healthy but also very attractive to robins so add them to your feeders to increase interaction from robins.”
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