Our lively and friendly robins really enjoyed themselves over Christmas adorning cards and wrapping paper. Postmen were once nicknamed ‘robins’ because they wore red waistcoats.

Apparently only British robins are so confiding, while those on the Continent are relatively shy.

So as far as I am concerned a robin is ‘not just for Christmas’ but we can enjoy it all year round.

Indeed, they have been singing all winter to cheer us up on dull days and are one of only a few species where both male and female sing and defend territories.

Both sexes look identical to us — but hopefully both can tell each other apart!

They clearly do so, because there are so many about this winter, seemingly our commonest species at present.

Despite their somewhat benign appearance, robins can be quite aggressive defending territories and sometimes we may see one with a very tattered head where he has been in a fight, sometimes causing the death of one of the protagonists.

Robins are far less able to access sunflower hearts, often hovering to try and gain a foothold but with little success.

So keep singing this winter, Robin, before our other songsters get going.