The mystery behind the Robin red breast

This week the staff and volunteers at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre have been busy in the peat free wildlife gardens getting some winter tidying underway.

Leaves are been gathered and stored for use in our compost systems. Leaves are valuable as they are carbon rich and when combined with grass cuttings and other organic waste collected in the garden, together they make the perfect blend of material for natures decomposers to a fertile and nutrient rich compost.

We have also been removing some of the brown autumn stalks left behind after the plants retreated for their winter hibernation. We are careful not to remove all the stalks as their seed heads provide a great source of food for visiting garden birds.

One bird that has visited us each day has been the robin (Spideog as Gaeilge). While I have wrtten about the robin previously during this festive season, it is one of Ireland’s wildlife that has a strong association with Christmas. You may remember that one theory of the robins association with Christmas comes from the UK and dates to Victorian times when the tradition of sending Christmas cards was started.

The postmen at the time wore red uniforms and they got the nickname ‘robin’ or ‘redbreasts’. I read from the Scottish Wildlife Trust, who links the robin to the birth of Jesus. It is said while Mary was giving birth in the stable the fire was going out, suddenly a little brown bird began to flap its wings and kept the fire going. An ember from the fire scorched the little bird on its breast and seeing this Mary declared that all of its descendants would wear a red breast as a sign of the birds kind heart.
This story was new to me and puts forward an earlier link of the robin to Christmas.

The robin feeds on insects and fruits, but it is also a frequent visitor to garden bird tables so why not put a few apples out for the robin this festive season.

Wishing you, your families and friends a very Happy Christmas.

If you would like help identifying a wildlife observation in your community you can contact me on bogs@ipcc.ie.

- Nuala Madigan from the Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore