The long-running saga of a robin at Sainsbury’s has been brought into fresh focus after one customer claimed the cheeky bird has been living off supermarket food.
The daring bird, named Bobby by staff, has made regular visits to the store in Dudbridge, Stroud for more than two months, with one shopper saying: “The robin regularly flies in and out of the store and I spotted it swoop down and take a peck at the bread.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Our colleagues are working with a bird rescue team to carefully remove it from the store.”
Former BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter Faye Hatcher also saw the daring bird during her weekly shop. “I was with my daughter Nancy and in my favourite aisle in Sainsbury’s; the crisp aisle! I looked up and saw a tiny robin fly from one aisle to the next,” revealed Faye who is now a media trainer, artist and celebrant.
She added: “In a flash, he was gone! My daughter was really sad she missed him and we spent the rest of the shop trying to find the robin, but couldn’t. He’s like the Loch Ness monster, as in, you go looking for him, you won’t see him!”
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “Robins are a daring species and can become used to being around people. They are aware the presence of humans often means food and this may be why this bird is paying regular visits to the Stroud supermarket in the hope they will be fed snacks. Robins’ natural diet includes insects, spiders, and worms, as well as fruit and berries.
“But there are obvious food safety concerns involved in situations like this and it would be best if the robin is encouraged to leave the store by opening external doors and windows from which the bird can easily exit.
“It is best to give the bird time to find a way out and to monitor the robin’s progress as it may take them some time to leave. If that proves unsuccessful, a local wildlife rescue may also be able to help by catching and directing the bird towards the doors.”
