Winter Robin
10th February 2021
Winter Robin
This image was achieved way back in January 2009 during a particularly hard winter. Snow is a real rarity in our village here in the south, so to get a few days worth was a dream come true.
It would have been so easy to have left the village for a bigger landscape and views that morning, but peering through the early morning wintery gloom, one little star was shining. I knew I had to spend that morning with one of our most iconic garden companions. So with no time to spare (way too excited on this morning), I quickly hatched a plan on how to capture a picture of my beautiful Robin in the snow. Little did I know how quickly this plan would go horribly wrong.
The plan was simply to place a bit of food out for the Robin, and he would just sit there and pose for me as a thank you for his wintery breakfast! However, I made the huge mistake of putting out too much, and it seemed only about 30 seconds and the whole garden was full of birds (good news travels fast in the bird world it seems). It was like a war zone, as I had everything from Dunnocks, to Wood Pigeons, to Blackbirds, all fighting over the food. The Robin had filled his face for a couple of minutes and fled, not to return until the following morning! It was all a bit too crazy for him, so a new plan was needed.
To console myself, I decided on a quick trip down to the river to photograph the Mute Swans that I had been working with over the autumn months. As I crossed the fields approaching the river, I became aware of a small bird that seemed to be following me in the hedgerow. Then with no warning, a Robin popped up in front of me amongst the branches of a alder tree. There was the image I had waited so many years for! Luckily I had the camera ready (for once). It was just a matter of setting the exposure and pressing the shutter. All done in a few seconds, then he was gone. I spent the rest of the day with the swans, but I really couldn't concentrate as I just wanted to return home to check the Robin images. I shouldn't have worried as I ended up with a couple that I felt really did the Robin justice in his winter wonderland.
Over the years, this image has become one of my real favourites. I just love the simplicity of the picture. The branches gently frame the Robin and the alder catkins have a lovely soft red colour that matches the Robins colour. For me a very simple yet beautiful winter picture of our wild Robin.
To see this image and more of my wildlife work, please visit my galleries at https://www.peterrhoadesphotography.co.uk/gallery.html