The bird books tell us that certain types of bird, like robins and dunnocks, don’t cling to our bird feeders, but instead tend to feed on the debris underneath. You can even buy low, flat bird tables that they can stand on (why they’d want to do that instead of rummaging around unseen in the grass, I’m not sure, but I expect sparrowhawks are all for it). We can’t really call them danglebirds because they don’t dangle.
Then along came Clever Robin and Dauntless Dave the Dangling Dunnock. I may have to refine my definition. Dauntless is a bit shy and very hard to photograph, but Clever loves to show off. Sometimes, he even hovers, which must use more calories than he can eat.
Dauntless Dave and Clever Robin may, of course, be several different birds. There are certainly at least two robins and three dunnocks regularly flitting about in our garden. Have they all mastered the art of dangling? I’ll probably never know.
Words, words, words 