The bell tolls for wild robin's daily dinner date
By DUNCAN ROBERTSON
22nd June 2007
Daily Mail
Most wild birds scavenge for scraps wherever and whenever they can.
But in Terry Quinn's garden, mealtimes are a more orderly affair. Every day, he rings a bell to signify dinner is served.
A robin duly appears, then swoops down on his outstretched palm and snaffles a beakful of succulent mealworms.
The robin swoops down before it savours its succulent snack
Mr Quinn, 70, said: "It gives me a real thrill. There is something special about having normally wild and timid birds trusting enough to land on your hand to feed."
A former vice-president of Hitachi, he spent most of his working life in California. It was only when he retired and moved with his wife Miriam to a 16th-century cottage near Diss, Norfolk, that he could indulge his lifelong passion for birdwatching.
The bird plucks some mealworms from Mr Quinn's palm
Last year, he noticed a pair of robins in the garden and decided to train them. "I started by going out into the garden with a fork and gradually the robins learned that every time I went out with it I would feed them mealworms.
"Over the next few days I stayed closer and closer to the front door, until I would feed them from the doorstep. I then got the idea to ring the bell and soon they came to my hand every time I rang it."
"Everybody loves it," said Mr Quinn. "I can't remember the number of times people have begged me to show them how to do it."
dailymail.co.uk
By DUNCAN ROBERTSON
22nd June 2007
Daily Mail
Most wild birds scavenge for scraps wherever and whenever they can.
But in Terry Quinn's garden, mealtimes are a more orderly affair. Every day, he rings a bell to signify dinner is served.
A robin duly appears, then swoops down on his outstretched palm and snaffles a beakful of succulent mealworms.
The robin swoops down before it savours its succulent snack
Mr Quinn, 70, said: "It gives me a real thrill. There is something special about having normally wild and timid birds trusting enough to land on your hand to feed."
A former vice-president of Hitachi, he spent most of his working life in California. It was only when he retired and moved with his wife Miriam to a 16th-century cottage near Diss, Norfolk, that he could indulge his lifelong passion for birdwatching.
The bird plucks some mealworms from Mr Quinn's palm
Last year, he noticed a pair of robins in the garden and decided to train them. "I started by going out into the garden with a fork and gradually the robins learned that every time I went out with it I would feed them mealworms.
"Over the next few days I stayed closer and closer to the front door, until I would feed them from the doorstep. I then got the idea to ring the bell and soon they came to my hand every time I rang it."
"Everybody loves it," said Mr Quinn. "I can't remember the number of times people have begged me to show them how to do it."
dailymail.co.uk
