by David MacAllister
SITTING at my desk looking out at the frozen pebbled covering of snow, among the hoards of sparrows and chaffinches there are two robins feeding.
This is a rare event as robins are extremely territorial throughout the year. In extreme conditions a robin will tolerate an intruder in its territory as long as the latter doesn't show any signs of territorial behaviour.
The slightest burst of song or "Tic" call will bring the territory holding robin down hopping, wing flicking, "Tic-calling" and displaying its red breast feathers. If the intruder doesn't retreat the home robin will fly at it.
I am always amazed that robins seem to be able to fly, wing flick and tic-call, all at the same time.
Most intruders retreat but if they do not a fight will ensure.
In a wonderful series of observations in a research project, 13 per cent of 1,067 encounters led to fights. In a few of these one of the birds, usually the intruder, was injured or even killed.
So how do we end up with this aggressive little bird on our Christmas cards - so much for "Peace and Goodwill"!
The robin, originally called the redbreast, probably started frequenting gardens in the British Isles in the "Little Ice Age" 400 years ago.
At a time of year when many of the birds which visit our houses and farms, such as swallows and martins, have gone south, it remained.
In the British Isles, unlike in Europe, it is confiding and relatively unafraid of humans. These friendly little birds were nicknamed "Robin Redbreast" and then the redbreast part of the name was dropped leaving us with the robin.
Interestingly, on the continent robins and redstarts reverse roles, the robin being a retiring bird of woods and scrubland, the redstart and black redstart being confident and friendly birds in the garden.
When Victorians first started sending Christmas cards in the middle of the 19th century the postmen wore red waistcoats as part of their uniform and were nicknamed "Robins". Possibly for that reason robins began to be shown on Christmas cards delivering cards and presents and have become more strongly associated with Christmas than any other bird.
Robins no doubt will appear on your cards next year - but I won't be appearing in your Ross-shire. This is my final column after six years - the economic downturn has many effects.
So how does one end "I see trees of green !" no Attenborough beat me to that one but I would agree with the master communicator "It's a wonderful world". Or I could refer you to Darwin's wonderful final paragraphs of the "On the Origin of Species" - "There is grandeur in this view of life . . ."
Natural history gives a unique and fascinating perspective on the world and I would like to thank all who have joined me in my ramblings by mail, e-mail, phone or chat over the years. I may not be in the Ross-shire but I can still be contacted on e-mail at umbraticus@dsl.pipex.com
There are a few stalwarts which we think of as always being there, one of the best-loved being the robin of our recently discarded Christmas cards. In continental Europe the robin is a secretive bird of the woodland and hedgerow seldom seen in gardens.
This bird, originally called the redbreast, probably started frequenting gardens in the British Isles in the 'Little Ice Age' 400 years ago. It became such an integral part of people's image of their gardens that it was nicknamed 'Robin Redbreast' and then the redbreast part of the name was dropped leaving us with the robin.
Other long-term regulars are the blackbird, dunnock and the house sparrow. Several of these were so much a part of peoples' lives that they were taken to North and South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand by settlers from various parts of the UK.
For example house sparrows were introduced to the east coast of the US in the early 1850s.
By1880 they had reached San Francisco and by 1887 several states established sparrow eradication programmes due to crop damage.
Similarly in Australia, where the bird was introduced in the 1870s, it has become such a pest in the east that the government of western Australia is eradicating all reported sparrow colonies to try to prevent its spread to the west coast.
The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. "I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?"
"Ghost of the Future!" he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart.
"Will you not speak to me?"
"Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?
