Yes, you read that right. Colly birds, not calling birds.
Welcome once again to our 12 days of Christmas. So what is this about colly birds then?
Well, the word 'colly' is an old word, related to one still in use, colliery. That is, a coal mine. Colly means as black as coal. So a colly bird is in fact a blackbird. Which also sings nicely, and hence would justify as a calling bird. So I guess it works out ok after all.
Blackbirds are many people's favourite garden bird. The jet black male and chocolatey brown female are regular visitors to gardens. Although they are not really agile enough for most hanging feeders, they are quite happy to use bird tables or to eat off the ground. especially important when the ground is frozen and cold, sending earthworms deep into the earth and beyond their reach. If you buy mealworms, especially live ones, you can make a firm friend from your blackbird. I have heard tell of them even coming into the house to pester homeowners to give them extra helpings!
Female blackbird (Nigel Blake, rspb-images.com)
Here at Frampton, you are most likely to see blackbirds in the hedgerows surrounding the reserve, or bouncing on the shorter grass of the wildlife garden.
Do you see blackbirds in your garden? You can tell us how many and which other birds you see by taking part in the 2014 Big Garden Birdwatch. We want you to spend a short amount of time on the final weekend in January, watching what birds come into your garden. No garden? You can do it in your local park or other similar green space. For all the details, including how to take part, check out our website.
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.