Sat next to me on my way to lunch as I stopped to chat; definitely rather grumpy and scratching itself. Made me giggle. "Don't worry, you're still gorgeous" I told it. "No I'm not I'm all scruffy and horrid", scratch, scratch, feathers fall out. I've never seen a bird scratch itself before and wanted to giggle except it would be rude and it was looking - glaring - at me already.

I'll put your suggestion to it but judging by the beligerent look in its eye, not sure it will be well received!

Locked Out wrote:
You can get them re-covered very cheep at any decent upholsterer's. We had one done last year. It was lowering the tone of the garden.

That made me chuckle

What is funny, and I'm sure an accidental physical aspect due to feathers dropping off, is the angry look in its eye which is so Un-Robin. They are such sweet, plump, cute looking birds and the furious gleam - as though it resents this undignified and irritating development (it clearly is making it itch; thus the scratching). And the scratching is funny too; they have such tiny thin long legs and you worry they will fall over perched on just one as they furiously scratch with the other. I gather this phase doesn't last long but it is very funny.