I never feel alone in the garden. As soon as my trowel hits the soil, a flash of orange appears at my feet. There it is, the self-appointed supervisor of all my gardening efforts. The robin has arrived to see what I’m doing on his patch!
Feisty Little Birds
Robins are fiercely territorial, even in winter. Have you ever watched two rival robins chasing each other around the garden, or fighting over mealy worms on the bird table? They will even tackle birds much bigger than themselves if they suspect them of infringing on their kingdom.
One confusing thing about robins is, unlike blackbirds, bullfinches and chaffinches, both male and female look alike.
One of my perpetual worries is when the robin follows me into the greenhouse, curious to find out what I’m up to. Our cat often lurks in wait and traps birds fluttering against the glass.
Robins are always with us because they don’t migrate. They stay all year round, singing their sweet song from leafy beaches in summer to bare skeletons of trees in the depths of winter. They are, above all, our companions in the garden and never fail to attract our attention.
Famous Robins in Literature
Anyone who has read the wonderful novel ‘The Secret Garden’ or seen the movie will remember the heroic role played by the friendly robin.
Lonely Mary Lennox, the little orphan from India, comes across the robin in Yorkshire and follows it to the hidden door under all the ivy.
The robin offers a new life to Mary and her cousin, Colin, in showing them the secret garden, which was locked up after Colin’s mother died. It’s a beautiful story.
Oscar Wilde’s short story, "The Nightingale and the Rose," tells a tragic tale about a nightingale using its own blood to colour a white rose red for a young man who wants to give it to his sweetheart.
I remember being upset by this story when I was a teenager, particularly because the bird sacrifices its life for nothing, and the young man never seems grateful. I’m sure there’s a moral to be learned, though.
Christmas Robin
The robin really comes into its own territory in the Festive Season, when it adorns greetings cards and wrapping paper. It’s a symbol of Christmas for many.
I only learnt recently that Victorian-era postmen were nicknamed ‘Robins’ because they wore a red Royal Mail uniform.
Robins in the House
I’ve come across many people who are superstitious about robins flying into their houses. They often believe that the robin is a representation of a loved one who has died, and welcome such visits by the little bird.
Recently three robins have flown into my bedroom on separate occasions, always after I have left a downstairs window open, and I’ve had to move fast to stop the cat attacking them.
The best way to do this, I find, is to remove the cat from the room, open the windows, and then leave the bird in peace and quiet until it finds its way out into the garden again. The last robin sat on the top of a wardrobe for almost an hour!
Robin Stories of Your Own
If you have any stories about your own encounters with robins, I would love to hear them.
A Celebration of Robins
I’ve no idea what the collective noun for robins is, or even if there is one, but today, December 21st, is not only the Winter Solstice in Ireland, but it is also National Robin Day 2025.
For fun, I created this little video below to celebrate our favourite, cheerful and characterful bird. Here’s to the European (and British) robin!
This video contains music from Shutterstock, licensed by Splice video editing app.
Suzanne Winterly loves robins, but she also writes dual timeline mystery novels. Click below to learn more…