PHOTOS, LETTERS, TWEETS, QUESTIONS – HAVE YOUR SAY
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Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA
A special Christmas Robin
Recently, while playing golf, I noticed a small bird hop up from the ground and settle on a bare branch, just a few yards away. I watched it moving about for a short while, and my instant reaction was, “What on earth is that?” I had no binoculars with me or camera, or phone, and playing in a competition, we had another group of players following close behind, so could not hang around.
My initial thought was a f lycatcher because of its colouring, but this was mid-November!
Surely, they are all well on their way south on their migration journey, in southern Europe ornorthern Africa.I returned to the spot afterwards, but it could not be found, and it was going to be one of those ‘one that got away’ moments, even though I could not stop thinking about it.
Until a couple of weeks later, after hearing it had been seen again, and I returned with my camera, and here it is. A delightful Robin that has become quite a well known character at the club. The red breast area is quite white, and the rest, shades of grey. When watched for a little while, it hops about and behaves just like any other Robin. You can appreciate why I could not fathom what it was.
The editor says: That is a remarkable looking bird, Rolf. You don’t say where your golf club is, but we believe there was a similar ‘leucistic’ Robin photographed in Devon about eight years ago. Perhaps they could be related?
Winter checklist request
As a recent newcomer to Milverton, Somerset, and indeed to the UK, on my walks through the village I have seen very few birds and can assume that this is due to the seasonal migration that ta
