Garden Wildlife UK

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

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.

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 !

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.

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

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

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.

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

Spotted this Blackbird keeping lookout whilst the others fed !

That's quite Christmas-cardy !!