Tea with a Robin: Notes from the Garden Fence

By A Humble Observer of Feathered Folk

This morning, the garden was draped in its usual misty shawl, dew clinging to the grass like tiny stars from the sky. I settled on my favourite bench with a mug of tea and a biscuit of questionable structural integrity, when — as if summoned by the steam — he appeared.

The robin.

He perched on the fencepost with the confidence of an old friend dropping by unannounced, puffed his red chest like a polite hello, and gave me that knowing, sideways look. You know the one: half curiosity, half accusation. As if he’d been waiting to see if I remembered the sugar for his tea (I hadn’t).

Now, I know I may be projecting — one minute you’re naming a squirrel Gerald, the next you’re embroiled in a psychological debate with a sparrow about seed distribution. But this robin — seems to recognise me.

Not just “human with snacks” recognise. More… familiar. He lands closer than he does to others. He chirps differently when I talk. Last week, he even brought a leaf, dropped it at my feet, then stared at me as if awaiting applause. Was it a gift? A warning? A birdly inside joke?

Do Robins Recognise Humans?

According to the clever folk in lab coats, robins can remember individual humans, especially those who feed them. They may even associate our faces, voices, and habits with safety or food. It’s not friendship as we know it, but perhaps it’s the bird version of, “Oh, you again — you’re alright.”

And that’s enough for me.

He’s back again now, as I write this, tilting his head in that charmingly suspicious way. Maybe tomorrow, he’ll tell me his name.

Until then,
From the garden fence, with tea and tailfeathers,
Yours in whimsy,
– The Birdwatching Rambler

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