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Blackbirds

Yesterday I indulged in what turned out to be a rather good day for localised bird-watching - this involves sitting at my pc and looking out of the window at regular intervals. At one point I saw what looked (they were some 50+ feet away from me) to be a male and female blackbird getting flirty on the fence which divides my garden from that of next door. Thank goodness for a telephoto lens and a camera which doesn't lie! It turned out to be an adult male and a juvenile!

The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.

The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!

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  • Sorry Squirrel, I don't understand. Why don't you think they were getting 'flirty' after all?

    Great pics by the way!! ;-)

    "All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)

    My photos on Flickr

  • Hi MarJus - according to the RSPB Bird Identifier (great source of reference) the second bird seems to be a juvenile blackbird. Therefore it is highly likely the male is the father - unless blackbirds aren't fussy about such family links.

    http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/blackbird/index.asp#

    (Pic 3)

    The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.

    The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!

  • Oh I see what you mean! Yes I'm not sure at all about 'family ties' and breeding!

    "All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)

    My photos on Flickr

  • Hi Squirrel - If your Blackbirds are Father and Son maybe son was begging for food still?  Will they still remember each other next Spring and if they were Father and Daughter would they? or wouldnt they? Are we getting into an x-rated area here!    My fat pigeon tries to mate with every pigeon in sight some of which I'm sure he's related to.

  • Hi Lucy - that I don't know. When I took the first pic of the juvenile the adult male had just flown away. Looking at the stance of the juvenile it is similar to fledgling chaffinches and robins when they are asking for food. That juvenile is a big bird though - being why I, with the naked eye, assumed it was an adult female.

    The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.

    The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!

  • I think you could be right Squirrel, the wings in the 3rd picture are definitely held slightly lower than tight to the body which does indicate begging for food.  She is quite a late fledgling then as they stop breeding in July or am I mistaken?

    Lovely pictures too!

  • Hi Kezmo - it wouldn't surprise me as my regulars have been a bit manic on the procreation front this year. I said in another post that my robins seem to be on round three so I suppose this could be a late second brood. It's the first time I've seen the juvenile blackbirds in such detail though (and then only thanks to the camera) so I am pleased that I thought to take the photos.

    The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.

    The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!

  • Hi Kezmo, just a quick update, I saw two of them today so I guess it is a late brood.

    The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.

    The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!

  • Hi Squirrel, thanks for the update, they should be okay though shouldn't they? - there is still plenty of food around and of course with your supplement the cooler months coming in won't be a problem for them.  I wonder if this just another indication of the climate changes that the breeding season will become more extended and we see more and more later fledgling in the years to come?

  • Hi Kezmo, I am sure they will be fine. I am putting out food (I never stop - feed mine all year round) and, at the moment, most of my birds seem to be finding plenty to eat from the berried shrubs etc. as well. Don't worry though, I will keep an eye on them. I agree with you, it really does seem very late, being why I posted the earlier question about my robins, They certainly seem to have had a baby boom year so I guess it's not surprising that others have as well.

    The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.

    The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!

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