Latin name
Erithacus rubecula
Family
Chats and thrushes
Overview
The UK's favourite bird - with its bright red breast it is familar throughout the year and especially at Christmas! Males and females look identical, and young birds have no red breast and are spotted with golden brown. Robins sing nearly all year round and despite their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders. They will sing at night next to street lights.
Where to see them
Across the UK in woodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens.
When to see them
All year round.
What they eat
Worms, seeds, fruits and insects.
Estimated numbers
5,895,000 territories
VERSUS THE LINNET
Latin name
Carduelis cannabina
Family
Finches
Overview
A small, slim finch, widely distributed, and once very popular as a cage bird because of its melodious song. Males are attractively marked with crimson foreheads and breasts, females much browner. It can be flighty and has an undulating flight, usually twittering as it flies. Now it is declining, in common with many other birds which use farmland, and is a Red List species.
Where to see them
While widespread across the UK, there are concentrations along the east coast from Kent to Aberdeenshire but they are scarce in upland regions and north west Scotland. Look for it on commons, heathland, rough ground, farmland hedges, saltmarshes and in parks and gardens.
When to see them
All year round.
What they eat
Seeds and insects.
Estimated numbers
556,000 territories
So that's sorted: "The UK's favourite bird, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders". And "there's more of us than you." Oh and Robins eat worms which is well hard!
NAILED-ON HOME WIN
As for the sideshow and the Vodkat Challenge Cup - who knows? The Robins haven't played for SEVEN AND A HALF WEEKS so fitness may be a problem. Then again I'm sure our lads had a booze-free Christmas and have abstained from alcohol so far this year. Well I've done it - well I'd done it until I went the ressies game at Ashton Athletic in the Meat Pattie classico in the week (Good win 3-1 to the lads)when somebody forced me to have two pints of cold lager. Bloody horrible and I'll be abstaining again until Saturday.
Adverse weather has led to a string of postponements for The Robins but the visit of Premier Division Linnets in the last sixteen of the Vodkat Challenge Cup has whetted the appetites of all at the club.
The visitors were formed in April 2006, when the fans of Runcorn Football Club, dismayed at the club’s predicament, voted to establish a new club which would continue the proud tradition of non-league football which had existed in the town since 1918.
In the past Runcorn were regular visitors to Wigan as they were rivals of Latics - prior to their election to the Football League - in the Cheshire and Northern Premier Leagues. The current club has been playing at Witton Albion's ground in Northwich but after support from Halton Council and the reward of various grants they expect to be playing back in the town for the start of the 2010/11 season.
Runcorn will be backed by a large following and are renowned for their free-scoring, which should test The Robins cup and promotion aspirations. Theya are also renowned for letting a few in. Local lad "Big Phil" Priestley's is The Linnets custodian so feel free to heckle him/pepper him with shots.
Meanwhile the enforced break has at least allowed long-term injury victims Steve Williams and Mike Wood time to fully recover meaning The Robins should have a full squad to choose from.
It should be an excellent game and it will be good to see a Runcorn side - who look like returning to their home town next season - playing in Wigan. I saw them against Latics many times and they were always close affairs.
This is a great game to wipe away the cobwebs and actually get to watch some football. So get down to the Stadio de Robin Park. Robin's Nest will be open, the programme's a good un and two sets of honest teams will be putting their all in rather than worrying about image rights/getting paid/Phil Neville giving them the finger/The Glazer's debt/The fat waiter's goatee and whatever else has happened in the premiersoap this week...
Kick-off on Saturday is 3pm with admission £4 (£2 concessions)
"Bring it on" (as they say on SKY, probably)
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