Our cat, Dulcie, is quite old now and doesn’t have the best of appetites, so during each day the food she leaves goes outside. Originally it was intended for the local stray cat and the hedgehog, and I know the food I put out after dark certainly goes to those two, as I saw the cat last night and the hedgehog the night before.

However, the food I put out during the day goes to the robins and the blackbirds. They must sit around waiting for me, because I can guarantee that in less than a minute (sometimes 30 seconds) of the food going outside the back door, one or both of them swoop in for a snack.

They also like cooked mashed potato, oatmeal, raisins and cheese. I usually mix these with breadcrumbs.

Today I went to my neighbours to buy my eggs, his son keeps chickens and ducks. He’d just been showing me some newly hatched ducklings, and we were leaning on the fence watching his adult ducks waddling around, when who should fly down and help himself to some of their food pellets but my little robin friend with the scabby head.

I don’t think my neighbour even noticed him. There was me thinking he was my robin. On the contrary, I think I’m his!