Research by Giulia Zammit Lonardelli
The Robin is one of the most distinct and popular British birds, and was voted as the national bird of Great Britain in a ballot nearly 40 years ago. They are often associated with Christmas, and regularly feature on cards, wrapping paper and other festive odds and ends! They were nicknamed in the 19th century when the postmen wore red waistcoats as part of their uniform, and were called ‘Robin Red Breasts!’ You will often hear them warbling and chirping as, unlike some birds, they sing all year round.
Length: 12-13cm Wingspan: 20cm Conservation Status: Green
Description: The Robin is famous for, and easily recognised by, its distinctive red breast; you can spot them all year round in the British Isles. Their red breast is bordered by thin, brown-grey feathers and the wings and back of the Robin are light brown. Male and female Robins are identical, but the juveniles have light spotted brown plumage with no red.
Nesting: Robins can be found in various habitats, including woodlands, parks and, much to our satisfaction, gardens. They are one of the earliest birds to nest, and their nests are commonly made from sticks, grass, moss and dead leaves. They are built in areas with lots of shelter and easy access, however, they are famous for nesting in all sorts of random locations including sheds, boats, hanging baskets, old boots and other mischievous places! The male will find the area for the nest and help to gather materials, and the female does the majority of the building work. Breeding season usually begins in March, but during mild winters Robins have been known to breed as early as January! They lay their pale blue speckled eggs in the morning, one per day, and a normal clutch size is between 4 and 6 eggs, which hatch after 13-14 days. Two broods a year are normally produced, although a pair may occasionally produce a third.
Feeding: Robins have a very varied diet and love beetles, spiders, other small insects, worms, berries, soft fruits and seeds. In cold weather conditions, food is vital to their survival as they can use 10% of their body weight in just one winter’s night. Bird tables can therefore improve chances of survival and the Robin’s favourite treats include mealworms and kitchen scraps like cakes, biscuits and even cheese.
Il-LEĠĠENDA TAL-PITIRROSS U JUM IL-MILIED.
Minn Harry Agius Ordway.
Bħal kull ieħor b’din Nisrani
niġri nixtri l-kartolini
biex ma’ kulħadd nipprova naqsam
xewqat sbieħ b’għaniet divini.
‘Mma kull darba fis ħadt ħasda
waqt li nqalleb fl-ixkaffar,
x’ħin kont nara ħafna minnhom
b’pitirross sidru ħamran!
“Pitirross flok Bambin ċkejken”
f’moħħi jħufu l-ħsebijiet,
“biex ikissru l-qdusija,
li jġib miegħu l-Milied?”
Kont ninfena u nsewwed qalbi
Sa ma jtul żmien il-Milied,
‘mma bli ġara s-sajf li għadda
biddilt fehmti minn dal-ħsieb!
Is-sajf l-għadda mort fuq ġita.
Mort żort Art is-Salvatur,
fejn fost l-hemm li sibt ġo Betlemm
kellimt omm kollha dulur.
Ngħidu l-kliem hu bħaċ-ċirasa,
l-iktar meta bih tithenna,
aktar u aktar meta qaltli,
tal-pitirross din il-leġġenda.
“Xitwa kiefra tassew kienet,
bi rjieħ kiesħa, tramuntana.
Smewwiet ċari, kwiekeb sbieħ
kienu jiem l-ewwel Milied!
Għasfur ċkejken, pitirross,
rahom ifittxu post għar-rdoss,
lil Ġużeppi, b’martu fuq ħmara,
‘mma qlub in-nies iebsa daqs nagħla.
Għalkemm tar u ħaff madwarhom,
lanqas biss taw ħarsa lejh.
Min ilumhom…kulur dgħajjef, gost ta’ xej’,
isbaħ kien għasfur tal-bejt.
Għadda l-ħin, terrqu qatigħ.
Stalla f’għar raw għall-mistrieħ!
Il-pitirross tar taħt is-saqaf
sa travu sab u fuqu waqaf!
Hemm ġew kenni kien il-post
mill-irjieħ u x-xita, rdoss;
dawl dehbi minn fanal,
dawramejt idawwal l-għar.
Ħemda kbira, għajr tħaxwix,
qalb it-tiben, mitfuħ frisk.
Ħuxlif bnin kien il-matmura
F’nofs il-għar ġewwa maxtura.
L-għasfur tagħna skanta ftit,
jara baqra u ħmar imqit,
fuq maxtura f’nofs il-għar
nifishom jitfgħu bla serħan!
Tfantas sewwa b’dik id-dehra,
tant nifs sħun fuq wiċċ maxtura,
niżel, tar, biex jara sewwa…
tarbija ra mimlija ħlewwa.
Ra kemm ‘l ommha u ‘l missierha
mehdijin, bl-għajnejn fin-nieqa,
għarkobbtejhom, imsaħħrin
b’dak il-wild…jidher divin.
Din id-dehra hekk glorjuża,
poġġiet ‘l-għasfur f’qagħda kurjuża,
ħass ferħ kbir jhenni lil qalbu,
li qatt qabel ma kien ġarrbu!
Kif mitluf fi ħsibijietu,
bosta nies lemaħ ġejjin…
ragħajja bin-nagħġiet madwarhom,
nies b’kuruni mżejnin.
Niżlu kollha għarkubbtejhom,
bir-rigali f’wiċċ idejhom.
Min ta deheb, inċens, jew mirra,
min tah b’qalbu dak li jiżra’.
Anki tifel, bin ir-ragħajja,
ħaruf sufi abjad borra,
qala’ hieni minn dwar għonqu,
lil Ġużeppi tah iżommu.
War’ xi ħin kollox kien ħiemed,
Marija u Ġużeppi mħeddlin,
mteddu dlonk qrib il-maxtura,
intilfu f’nagħsa mill-ħelwin.
L-annimali kollha ntelqu,
ġol-ħuxlief u t-tiben fin,
ferħanin b’dak li kien ġara,
imħarsin b’dell il-Bambin.
‘Mma l-għasfur, pitirross tagħna,
nasu tar għax ma għarafx kif,
x’rigal seta’ hu jmur jagħti
lil dak il-ħlejju Iben Divin.
Għolla ftit u mejjel rasu,
mit-tamboċċ ra dieħel dawl,
tiddi kienet għad l-istilla
għalkemm qorob sew in-nhar!
F’leħħ ta’ berqa, hu tar fl-arja
fommu fetaħ sew fil-ħin,
għanja ħelwa beda jgħanni
biex hu jhenni lill-Bambin.
Ħoss ta’ l-għaġeb, ħoss tal-ġenna,
għanja għona mid-deheb fin,
fl-istess waqt kemm gabirjoli,
kif ukoll iżiġġ fil-ħin.
Tar fil-għoli, kemm fil-baxx
biss li jgħanni ma waqafx,
ħin bla waqt tar waħda b’lura
niżel dritt fuq il-maxtura.
Id-Divin ta’ ġol-maxtura,
wiċċu dawwar, ħares lejh,
u biex qiesu jgħidlu grazzi,
dlonk hu mejjel lejh idejh!
Lill-għasfur, hu messlu sidru,
melles b’sebgħu r-rixx griż,
il-għasfur ħass bidla kbira:
donnu sar ta’ min jammira!
Sidru kollu b’bixra ġdida,
ir-rix kollu ħmar bħan-nar,
ir-rix l-ieħor madwar ġismu
kulur l-aqwa arinġ sar.
L-għasfur tagħna ferfer denbu,
ġwenħajh rewwaħ b’aktar saħħa;
“Grazzi” għanna u fis tar,
sakemm kollha d-dinja żar.
Wera d-dinja kuluritu,
li kisbu uliedu b’tifkiritu.
Il-leġġenda kienet fatt!
Dak li sar spiċċa stampat!
‘Mma minkejja dil-leġġenda,
li mlietni b’ferħ mill-aktar kbir,
xorta waħda f’kartolina,
mal-pitirros…nixtieq Bambin!
