BLACKBIRDS

All your bird talk in here
Willpar
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Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: BLACKBIRDS

Post by Willpar » Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:08 pm

No blackbirds here yet , have some rowan berries but have not seen any takers yet.

Jacksparrow
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Re: BLACKBIRDS

Post by Jacksparrow » Wed Mar 19, 2025 8:59 pm

Winter looks to be finally ending and it has been my quietist for Blackbirds that I can remember. The absolute maximum I have counted in one go has been four. Most of the time there has only been two but currently only one is showing.
The entertaining blackbird squabbles over food and territory have been missing :( and so far very little singing. I know the SE of England the population has been affected by some king of virus but it looks as though it has spread westward.

Willpar
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Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: BLACKBIRDS

Post by Willpar » Wed Mar 19, 2025 10:11 pm

Not heard of a virus in blackbirds JS. Will have to do a bit of digging around the net.

Found it, a mosquito born virus that affects blackbirds called Usutu. Has reached Dorset now.

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Butterfly
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Re: BLACKBIRDS

Post by Butterfly » Thu Mar 20, 2025 10:43 am

I only see 1 blackbird around the garden, used to have few of them. Sad to hear about that virus, they are clearly affected :(

Jacksparrow
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Re: BLACKBIRDS

Post by Jacksparrow » Wed Apr 09, 2025 7:49 pm

I have had the same cock Blackbird in my garden for a couple of years. In previous years I've seen him "fishing" for tadpoles in the shallow end of the nature pond. This year the pond has a good covering of duckweed so seeing his prey is difficult if not impossible to see.. Undeterred I saw him today dragging lumps of duckweed out and flipping them over to get at whatever is hiding underneath. At this time of year there will be young tadpoles plus other water creepy-crawlies. He wasn't disappointed as I saw several beakfulls being scoffed.

Willpar
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Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: BLACKBIRDS

Post by Willpar » Wed Apr 09, 2025 8:18 pm

Birds know a thing or two.

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