So here’s some more haiku about birds. Well one particular bird – Britains National bird – the Robin. I’ve written a few haiku about them but the split sequence inspired by Cheryl’s text was an inspiration. You may have to read it a few times to get the hang of it though.
There’s no mistaking it; the festive season is well and truly upon us. Christmas trees, laden with baubles and twinkling lights, can be seen popping up in windows all over the country and it won’t be long before we start coming home to find Christmas cards lying on the doormat.
Chances are that at least one of these messages from loved ones will have a robin gracing the front cover.
One of the strongest associations between robins and Christmas cards can be traced back to the days of the Victorian postie. For a time, Royal Mail postmen wore bright red uniforms which soon earned them the nickname ‘robins’. As the exchange of Christmas cards grew in popularity, depictions of robins holding cards in their beaks began to appear. A trend was born and, over a century later, robins are still one of the most favoured images on the market.
As well as adorning our mantelpieces, the robin is also responsible for the snatches of birdsong that can be heard in our parks and gardens at this time of year. Unlike most other songbirds who fall silent after the breeding season has come to an end, the robin continues to make himself heard. His song does change depending on the season; the winter song definitely has a frostier feel than the sweeter tune we hear in the spring. This may have something to do with the changing function of the song. In the spring months, the male robin has love on his mind. He is looking for a mate and, though he still needs to defend his territory against potential rivals, his song has a smoother quality. When winter strikes however, romance goes out of the window. It’s all about survival, which leaves no room for any sweet talk. Don’t be fooled by the charming melody though – if you were a robin he would try to take you down in a second.
Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds – British Library
Source: The Christmas robin – Sound and vision blog
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songs from the wood
under his breath
winter robins
… posting early
for Christmas
our postie hums
lights twinkle
in every house
a robin on the
mantle
a favourite carol
solstice bells
deep in the holly
a robin sings
A split sequence (Peter Jastermsky) about robins (with special thanks to Caroline Skanne editor of Blithe Spirit and founding editor and publisher of hedgerow), who loves robins as much as I do.
