BLACKBIRDS

[nuthatch]

Oh that's good to know, Jacksparrow, er ... sort of

I put some suet pellets right in front of him as I could see he hadn't been at the snow covered ground table but he didn't take one. I put some on the wall near him too.

This morning he was either chasing off or chasing after a Mrs Blackbird so I was glad about that

He was also doing that sort of cheeping like a fledgling wanting to be fed

[Placido]

That sort of 'cheeping' I sometimes hear too. I reckon it means 'I see no threat'. When one of my blackies is in the pyrawotsit and I approach with food then there it is ..... tuk tuk tuk.

[greg]

Our Blackbirds 'demand' their currants! My wife usually puts them out and the birds will come within a few feet of her. I put some out this morning and they waited till I was walking back in before they came. We have 8 male and 2 female regulars this year. Last year we had 20 !

[Jacksparrow]

I was watching my Blackbirds today and was struck by the variety of plumage colours the females have. I have one whose back colours are the same brown as a Thrush and one that is nearly as black as the males. Then there are other shades of brown in between. There clearly is a fault in quality control at the female Blackbird production plant.

[nuthatch]

My blackbird was up in one of the damson trees this morning, probably peering through the darkness at what I was doing.

I went and got the kettles for the bird baths last as it would be getting a bit light by then and he was still up in the tree.

I thought to myself I'd turn round when I got to the end of the garden and see if he was still there.

Well I didn't have to as when I'd picked the other kettle up off the step by the gate he was there on the sundial as I walked past - frightened the life out of me for some reason

[nuthatch]

When I was in the garden this morning a blackbird kept looking up at a feeder filled with suet pellets. I think he was waiting for some to tumble out as that's what's been happening these past two days when the feeder's been buffeted in the wind.

As I didn't have any more with me I took some out of another hanging feeder near me and threw them in his direction. He fluttered away but probably came back when I was gone.

Obviously didn't fancy the ones in a ground feeder

[peregrine]

The bottom suet block feeder on my feeding station is about three feet from the ground. A female Blackie stands under the block and launches herself vertically upwards about twelve times. Each time she pecks at the suet block getting some food.

[Jacksparrow]

A couple of years ago I had a Blackbird that attempted to feed from the hanging seed feeder. He managed to cling on and get some food but looked very ungainly

[greg]

Spotted this Blackbird keeping lookout whilst the others fed !

[Placido]

That's quite Christmas-cardy !!