Cold spell brings birds back to our gardens

As natural food supplies decrease, we'll see robins — and others — returning to gardens and feeders

A robin sings from a branch in Farran Woods. Picture: Chani Anderson

By now, there should be a noticeable return of birds to people’s gardens, as supplies of natural avian foods, such as berries, are exhausted and feeders are again called upon.

With more than two million breeding pairs in Ireland, the robin continues to be our most commonly-sighted garden bird, reported in 95% of gardens by the Irish Garden Bird Survey — and followed closely by the blackbird (94%) and blue tit (89%).