Thread: Daily or weekly cheer

Actually its unlikely to be an annual Robin Chit , they always fly in when you are in the garden checking to see if you disturb ground for worms etc. Robins are vicious little buggers too - can fight their rivals to the death

What sort of idiot would think it was one bird returning year after year.

'Oh look! It's Colin the sparrow!'

I only see a Robin once a year and yes it's about this time.
Weird I know, but I do believe it's the same one and he's the reincarnation of a relative.

What sort of idiot would NOT think it was one bird returning year after year.

cyrille probably

Do birds migrate to the same place?

Migratory birds, like this American Robin, may return to the same place year after year. Photo by lindapp57 via Birdshare.

Many migratory songbirds return to the same local area, and often to the exact same territory, each spring, even after traveling thousands of miles to and from their wintering grounds.

Do backyard birds return to the same spot year after year? -

All About Birdshttps://www.allaboutbirds.org › news › do-backyard-birds.

the migration habits of songbirds is one of natures miracles, and many do in fact return to the exact same location year after year.

The Basics: How Birds Navigate When They Migrate.



Staying On Course

Birds have a remarkable homing instinct, allowing them to return to the same area year after year, even when their migration takes them halfway around the world. How this remarkable feat is accomplished has been the topic of many studies.


Young Birds

Research indicates that young birds that do not migrate with their parents have an innate knowledge of the direction and distance they should travel, but lack a specific goal. After it arrives at its wintering grounds, the young bird will select a winter range to which it imprints during that winter. After the first year the bird has the ability to return to the same area, even if blown off course during migration.


Adult Birds

Adults seem to have even more homing skills. Two classic experiments illustrate this point.

Manx Shearwaters were flown by plane from their nesting island off the coast of Great Britain to two different locations. One group was released near Boston, MA, and another near Venice, Italy. Shearwaters do not fly over land so both groups must have taken an over water route, which would be especially convoluted from Venice. Both groups of birds returned to their nesting burrows within 14 days, covering approximately 250 miles per day. How they were able to achieve this remarkable return is not fully understood.

In another experiment, several hundred White-crowned Sparrows were captured in their winter grounds near San Jose, California. One group was flown to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and released, while a second group was flown to Laurel, Maryland, and released. The following winter thirty-four of the birds were recaptured in the same 1/4 acre plot in California they had been captured in originally, presumably after having visited their northern breeding grounds during the summer.

Homing Pigeon Studies

Homing pigeons have been used extensively as test subjects in order to develop a better understanding of migration and homing abilities. They have exhibited almost unbelievable navigation skills.

In one noted experiment, German scientist Hans Wallraff transported homing pigeons to a very distant location. To ensure that the birds did not receive any external navigational information, they were transferred under stringent conditions. The pigeons were transported in closed, airtight cylinders and provided bottled air. Light was turned on and off at random times and loud white noise was played. The cylinders were enclosed in magnetic coils that provided a changing magnetic field. Finally, the cylinders were mounted on a tilting turntable connected to a computer that varied both the rotation and tilt of the cylinders. After release at the distant and completely unknown area, the birds were able to fly home to their roost, apparently without trouble (other than an initial case of nausea).

The pigeons’ ability to fly home from a totally strange and distant location indicates that somehow the birds have both an internal compass and an internal map. A compass by itself would not be helpful, since the bird would not know if it were north, south, east or west of its home. The question of how a bird has a map of a location to which it has never been before (and was transferred to under such isolated conditions in the above test) and the sense of the direction it must take to return home remains a puzzle. Some possible explanations have been proposed, as follows:

Internal Maps

The Nose Knows Theory
How could a bird possibly have a map of places it has never been? One very surprising theory suggests that homing pigeons may use an olfactory map.

Visualize a pigeon in its home loft with the smell of pine trees from one direction and the smell of an onion farm in another. If the bird moves closer to the pine trees, the odor of pine will presumably grow stronger while the odor of onions grows weaker. In theory, a gradient map of odors could be created that would provide some directional information, even if the pigeon were suddenly dropped into a new location. Floriano Papi and others from the University of Pisa initiated this theory and have some evidence that olfactory navigation may extend to a distance of 310 miles. This theory remains controversial.

Magnetic Map Theory
A second theory suggests that birds use the earth’s magnetic field to obtain at least a partial map of its position. The earth’s magnetic field becomes stronger as you travel away from the equator and toward the poles. In theory, a bird might be able to estimate its latitude based on the strength of the magnetic field. While the change in strength is very small from one location to the next, there is some indication that homing pigeons have the sensitivity to detect even tiny changes in the strength of the magnetic field. Even if true, this would provide only a limited indication of the bird’s latitude.

At this time there is no clear evidence that either of these theories is the complete story and the mapping skills of birds remains largely unexplained.

The Compass

The other half of the navigation requirement is the compass. The internal map provides a bird with the general location of where it is relative to its homing or migration goal and its internal compass guides its flight and keeps it on course. Migrating birds are apparently utilizing several different compasses.

European Starlings

European Starlings by Ethan Winning via Birdshare.
The Sun Compass
In 1951 Gustav Kramer discovered the sun compass. He performed his experiments by placing European Starlings in orientation cages and then used mirrors to shift the apparent location of the sun. In response, the birds shifted their migratory restlessness to match the compass direction indicated by the apparent new position of the sun.

Further research revealed that the bird’s sun compass is tied to its circadian rhythm. It seems birds have a time compensation ability to make allowances for changes in the sun’s position over the course of the day. This theory is supported by another experiment in which pigeons were placed in a closed room with an altered cycle of light and dark. Over a period of a few days their circadian rhythm was reset. The birds were then released on a sunny day. Because their “internal clock” had been reset, they misinterpreted the position of the sun and made a predictable error in their homing direction. The pigeons actually ignore the position of the sun relative to its position in the sky, relying on its azimuth direction, i.e. the compass direction at which a vertical line from the sun intersects the horizon.

Further study has also revealed that pigeons have to learn the sun’s path to use it in navigation. Young pigeons allowed to see the sun only in the morning lack the ability to use the sun for navigation in the afternoon.

The Star Compass

The sun compass plays a role in homing and may be used by birds that migrate during the day. Many songbird species, however, migrate at night. For many years scientist suspected that birds use the stars for navigation. In 1957 Franz and Eleanor Saur collected data from a series of experiments in which birds were placed inside an enclosed planetary dome. The Saurs were able to demonstrate that birds do use the stars for migration but not, as it turns out, in the way they thought. The common belief at the conclusion of the Saur experiments was that birds have a genetically coded map of the stars. In 1967 Cornell scientist Stephen Emlen used Indigo Buntings to prove that the actual story was a little different.

Indigo Bunting male

Indigo Bunting by Michaela Sagatova via Birdshare.
Dr. Emlen also used a closed planetarium for his tests. He started by collecting young birds and then hand raising them in a lab. His research included the following:

A. One group of birds was raised in a windowless room and was never exposed to a point source of light.

B. A second group also never saw the sun but was exposed on alternate nights to a simulated night sky in the planetarium, with normal rotation around the North Star.

C. A third group was also raised in a windowless room, but on alternate nights was exposed to a simulated night sky in the planetarium. In this case, the sky was manipulated to rotate about a different star, Betelgeuse.

When the fall migration period started, the birds were released into a special cage inside the planetarium.

Group A was placed in the planetarium under a normal fixed sky. The birds oriented themselves in random directions, showing no ability to recognize a southerly migration direction.

Group B was placed in the planetarium with a normal rotation around the North Star. The birds oriented themselves away from the North Star, in the appropriate southern direction for migration.

Group C was also placed into the planetarium. They had been raised with Betelgeuse as the central point of rotation. When exposed to a normal sky these birds oriented themselves away from Betelgeuse.

This research indicates that young birds do not learn star patterns themselves but learn a north-south orientation from a rotational star pattern.

The Magnetic Compass

Another German team did research with the European Robin in the early 1960s. In their tests, robins showing migratory restlessness were placed in covered cages to eliminate sun, star and other light clues. Despite the lack of visual clues, the robins were observed hopping in the correct migratory direction.

Helmholtz coil.
Helmholtz coil
As an additional refinement to the test, a Helmholtz coil was placed around the covered cages. The coil allowed the researchers to shift the direction of the earth’s magnetic field. When the direction of the magnetic field was changed, the robins changed their hopping direction.

Further research indicates that while birds can sense the north and south ends of a compass, they cannot tell the difference between the two. To determine which direction is north, the birds apparently have the capability to sense that the magnetic lines of force align toward the poles of the earth. They can also detect the dip in the lines of force as they approach the earth and, through some currently unknown method, seem to be able to detect and make navigational decisions based on the dip angle.

The Sunset Cue

Patterns of polarized light also appear to play a key role in navigation. Many of the nocturnal migrants start their flights at sunset or a little after. Birds apparently use the polarized light patterns to provide information on initial migratory flight directions.

Landmarks

Birds that migrate during the day often follow, and may recognize, natural landforms such as mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes.

There is some indication that birds use multiple compass methods and calibrate them against each other. Some species use one type of compass as the primary navigational aid while others rely on a different primary system. The complexity of migration and the skill with which it is accomplished is one of the many marvels that make birds so interesting to study.

so yes, it could indeed be colin the robin returning to joe90s garden every year.

Interesting, cheers for sharing Tax!

^^ all very well but Robins are not migratory birds

We kept getting songbirds landing on our boat in the Black Sea and I was told they were migrating from Russia to Turkey for the winter, and stopped off with us for a rest. We had quite a few robins amongst the chaffinches, greenfinches and others.

But to be fair maybe the robins weren't migrating but just wanting to get away from the Russians. After 6 weeks of working with them I'm glad to get away as well... the most awful people I've ever had to work with.

all very well but Robins are not migratory birds

some are.

robins spend the winter in the uk to escape harsher weather in russia and elsewhere in northern europe. these robins migrate back to their breeding grounds in spring.

Do robins migrate?

Most British robins are sedentary, defending their territories year-round, with many females also establishing their own winter territories.
However, a handful head south to winter on the Continent, joining other robins passing through in the autumn on their way from Scandinavia and northern continental Europe.
Interestingly, it has been shown that many migrating robins are faithful to both their summer and winter territories, which may be many hundreds of kilometres apart.



Where do robins go in summer?

As most robins don’t migrate, they don’t really disappear over the summer – they just become a bit less visible. When food is more readily available during the summer, robins are more likely to forage out of sight in the woods rather than coming to your bird table in the garden.
The exception is robins that spend the winter here to escape harsher weather in Russia and elsewhere in northern Europe. These robins migrate back to their breeding grounds in spring.




How long do robins live?

A robin’s lifespan is just 13 months on average due to high mortality among robins in their first year. Once they’ve passed that barrier, they stand a much better chance of surviving for quite a while – the record currently stands at 19 years.


Why do robins have red breasts?

The robin’s red breast is part of what endears it to us, providing a welcome flash of colour on a winter’s day.But its evolutionary purpose is for a more serious role, with male robins using it to settle territorial disputes, especially during the breeding season.



Are robins aggressive?

Robins are very territorial birds and will viciously attack other robins that on their patch. A dispute starts with males singing at each other, trying to get a higher perch in order to show off their breast most effectively. This usually ends the challenge, with one individual deferring to the other.
Sometimes it can escalate to a fight, which can result in injury or death.
In some populations, up to 10 per cent of adult mortality is due to clashes over territory. This is the reason why robins are born without a red breast, and don’t acquire it until their first moult.


Do female robins have red breasts?

Yes. Red breasts in female robins don’t seem to serve the same competitive purpose as they do in males, but they haven’t evolved to look significantly different from each other.



What do robins eat?

Robins eat a wide variety of food, including worms, seeds, nuts, suet, invertebrates and fruit. They’ll readily come to garden bird tables, especially in winter, and a combination of suet, mealworms and seeds will go down particularly well.


When do robins nest?

If the weather is mild, they can breed as early as January, though it is more usual for them to start in March.
Robins are prolific breeders, often producing between three and five broods a year, each containing four or five eggs.
These broods can overlap, with the male feeding the chicks of one clutch while the female sits on the eggs of the next. This enables the population to bounce back readily from any overwinter population losses.
Robin chicks hatch after being incubated for 13 days and fledge 14 days later.

Robins will nest almost anywhere. Robin nests are usually located about 2m off the ground, within a recess or hollow sheltered by vegetation such as ivy. However, the robin is a particularly adaptable species when it comes to home-building and will also nest on the ground, behind the overhang of a grassy tussock, for instance, or beneath fallen twigs covered by leaf litter.

Over the years monitoring robins and other birds for the BTO Nest Record Scheme, I have come across a number of ground-nesting individuals. Nests must be well concealed to keep their occupants safe from predators, so while we might assume they are less common, it could be that they are just harder to find than those off the ground.

Sometimes, the birds utilise bizarre sites such as old teapots, a pigeonhole in a desk, the engine of a WWII plant, wellington boots and the body of a dead cat.
My personal favourite has to be a robin managing to make its nest on an unmade bed while the bed’s owner was downstairs having breakfast. Thankfully, the robin picked a tolerant person who left the nest undisturbed until the chicks fledged.


Why are robins so tame?

British robins readily associate with gardeners, but elsewhere in Europe they are shy and retiring birds of thick woodland cover, says Mike Toms from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

It may just be because continental robins, the migratory northern populations of which winter around the Mediterranean, have long been exposed to hunting in the southern part of their range, leaving the species particularly skulking in its habits, while in Britain we do not share the tradition of trapping and shooting small birds.

Why other British birds are less confiding than the robin may be linked to feeding behaviour. Robins take most of their food from the ground, including invertebrates disturbed by larger animals. They may view us in a similar way, as they scavenge worms unearthed by the gardener’s spade. This behaviour persists because they have nothing to fear.



Are robins active at night?

Robins are one of the first birds to start the dawn chorus and one of the last to stop singing at night, even in the winter when they sing to defend their winter territories.
They are often mistaken for nightingales, despite being one of the most common night-time singers in Britain.
Nocturnal singing can be triggered by loud noises, like thunder or fireworks, a sudden shaking of the roosting tree, or by lights, such as floodlights, coming on.

Various studies have shown that artificial lighting has led to an increase in the nocturnal activities of robins, with many urban robins now singing at night.


Do robins prefer city lights or quiet nights?

Male robins are aggressive and very vocal in defending good-quality territory, and in advertising themselves to potential mates. But how might this be affected by robins living in the city?
Using a taxidermy robin and a record robin song, researchers from Southampton University compared how male robins in a city park defended their territories with those more affected by urban light and noise.
The robins with territories closer to lit paths and noisy roads showed less aggression to the fake robin and song, meaning they are lower down in the dominance hierarchy. The researchers concluded that artificial night-time lighting and more daytime noise resulted in robin territories that were of a lower quality.


“This new study reminded me of one on robins 10 years ago,” said Dr Rupert Marshall, who studies birdsong at Aberystwyth University. “Although artificial light was present in all territories, it was urban noise which predicted the timing of the song, leading them to sing at night to avoid the din.”

Do robins keep feeding overnight?

Robins don’t just sing in the evening, they are also adapted to foraging in low light levels.
Research from the BTO’s Shortest Day Survey suggests that this could be due to the fact that robins have relatively large eyes compared to their body size, meaning that more light can enter the eye.
This adaptation may have led to urban robins feeding under street lights.
It would be interesting to find out if light pollution affects how early they, and other species, feed in the morning, especially during the winter when birds have an urgent requirement to refuel after a cold winter’s night.


When did the robin become associated with Christmas?

The robin became Britain’s bird of Christmas largely because Victorian postmen, who wore red tunic, were known as robin redbreasts. Robins began to appear on Christmas cards and other festive missives as a symbol of the red breasted messenger.


Authors. British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Social networks


Mike Toms

^ no we don't, Tax is talking about Russian Robins - those fly by to test our air defences. British Robins are made of stern stuff and remain all year. Mendip is hallucinating having spent too much time at sea gazing at the horizon. Eeeerr ain't Mendip supposed to be in transit to blghty?

Its Chico that's in transit, I think Mendip is already here.

I don't care what anyone says, my Robin is 15 years old and comes to visit me every year.

Originally Posted by Joe 90

I don't care what anyone says, my Robin is 15 years old and comes to visit me every year.

and that is "daily/weekly cheer".

the retired old "2 decades in the sand pit" teacher in CM dreams to wake up one day and have that cheer.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

^ no we don't, Tax is talking about Russian Robins - those fly by to test our air defences. British Robins are made of stern stuff and remain all year. Mendip is hallucinating having spent too much time at sea gazing at the horizon. Eeeerr ain't Mendip supposed to be in transit to blghty?

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing. A 5 hour connection at Schiphol right now so not much daily cheer here right now.

And I have a picture of a robin on our boat, no hallucinating at all!

^ You'll be 5 ciders in before bed - nearly there

One pint an hour Mendip and before you know it you'll be waking up to the singing of a Robin outside your window.
Unless you're stopping off in the Dam to soak up the local culture

Yeah...8 tins of Thatchers Gold waiting for me tonight, plus a couple of pork pies!

I did get a bit of daily cheer today, if truth be known. As you know I'm a big fan of Brexit and it delivered yet again... I was given a split ticket from Samsun/Istanbul to Amsterdam, so had to pick up my bag and check in again at Amsterdam. To do this I had to enter Schengen, so had to go through immigration, get yet another passport stamp, collect my bag, check in for the KLM flight to Bristol, then go through immigration again to leave Schengen and get yet another passport stamp.

The immigration officer asked why I'd visited The Netherlands... told him it had been a 15 minute trip to transfer my bag. It's cheered me up no end!

It just goes to show what a bureaucratic nightmare the EU is. Don't worry you will land in Brissle and you can spit from the carousel to the doors there - great little airport.

EDIT

anyone noticed that Mendip seems to be a bit down, dare i say he's missed the boat

here you go - some great British words for you

Pork Pie
Cider
Steak & Kidney
Mashed Potato
Peas
Gravy
Branston Pickle
Real Ale
Mum

Originally Posted by malmomike77

It just goes to show what a bureaucratic nightmare the EU is. Don't worry you will land in Brissle and you can spit from the carousel to the doors there - great little airport.

EDIT

anyone noticed that Mendip seems to be a bit down, dare i say he's missed the boat

I could spit from the carousel to the trolley that the bandits charge 2 quid for!

Originally Posted by Mendip

I could spit from the carousel to the trolley that the bandits charge 2 quid for!

Before handing over your dosh, fish around in the bag and pull out a used pair of silk wicking keks, then fish out your wallet still clutching your less than fresh keks and proffer the cash - I'd do it just for the amusement factor. You could also offer advice on where to procure the rare and commodious undercrackers and extoll the virtue of being able to wear them for 5 days straight.

Here he is, Teakdoors biggest migratory creature...The Lesser spotted hairy backed Western Warbler.

Getting here just in time for The Big Freeze.

Wrap up mate

UK cold weather forecast: Relentless sub-zero Atlantic freeze to grip ENTIRE nation

UK cold weather forecast: Relentless sub-zero Atlantic freeze to grip ENTIRE nation | Weather | News | Express.co.uk

^ he's in the south Dill, its 9 degs warmer than stoke

Originally Posted by Reg Dingle

Getting here just in time for The Big Freeze.

Wrap up mate

Aah good, thanks for that.

It's daily cheered me up no end!

Just like that

Be good to get your shirts ironed too

Originally Posted by malmomike77

its 9 degs warmer than stoke

Nothing like a good stoking to warm the cockles, mate.

Wonder how long Mendy lasted in The dams red light?

Well walking through immigration dressed like an Egyptian fundamentalist, give the recent atrocities - i don't rate his chances

Originally Posted by Mendip

The immigration officer asked why I'd visited The Netherlands... told him it had been a 15 minute trip to transfer my bag

Oh he's already fez'd up