Blackbirds

[Weanamadl]

I was happy when I saw more than 7 blackbirds visit our garden this year, compared to "mangy" who arrived with a gammy leg last year, poor little thing.

However, it only lasted about a month. I think I saw "one" last week and that's it.

Has anyone else got blackbirds or is it just me?? I do not have a cat!! Or a dog...:rolleyes:

[Shamal]

I was happy when I saw more than 7 blackbirds visit our garden this year, compared to "mangy" who arrived with a gammy leg last year, poor little thing.

However, it only lasted about a month. I think I saw "one" last week and that's it.

Has anyone else got blackbirds or is it just me?? I do not have a cat!! Or a dog...:rolleyes:

If you saw your mini-invasion of Blackbirds in the winter/early spring, then they were very likely to be birds wintering here from scandinavia. These birds will be back in the land of ABBA and Volvo's now :)

[justsomeoneelse]

hello all,
..i have blackbirds. i often see the male collecting meal worms, and fighting off the pesky starlings. but like you 'weanamadl', its no where near as many as previous years.


justsomeoneelse

[optrex]

I have a male and female atm, both collecting mealworms cast out by the great tits.

[Emma]

We have four regulars - two male andtwo female plus the odd juvenile.

One female has started following me around the garden over the past few days.

[Barbara Jane]

My neighbour has some very tall trees in her garden and told me last night her wonderful story.
A nest of blackbirds was raided in one of the trees (squirrels-magpies) she does not know only the terrible noise in the night woke them up. She found 3 baby blackbirds on the floor in the morning, one she kept and the other two gave to her neighbour. She had a small cage in her house (previous story last year) ready and waiting and promptly put the chick inside, with of course the necessary cotton wool etc to keep it warm as there weren't any feathers! I gasped and wondered how she would feed the little mite and you would never believe this but "cat food" does the trick. She has had him now for about 3 weeks, he practises flying up and down her corridor but she says it (? he or she?!) is not ready for the big wide world outside yet. Last year same trouble, same routine, but what happened when she released the now fully grown bird was that the others outside didn't want to let it in on their teritory. To end, it finally adjusted and came back with a mate! What a story I thought I had to pass it on.

Barbara Jane

[Ben]

Hi Barbara Jane,
Liked the good news in your story.Magpies and Squirrels bad news!

[Barbara Jane]

Here's an update on the Blackbird that my neighbour brought up on cat food!
He had his own cage inside their house (cage door open) and after getting used to the flying bit, up and down their corridor, decided one morning, when the kitchen door was open, to take off. He returned home in the evening to eat and then was off again, for the night.
Next morning he returned "for breakfast I suppose" stayed a while and then whilst he was there, washed up in the water bowl left for him on the kitchen floor, and departed.
This routine has been going on for a while now but slowly and surely he's coming home less frequently and is getting more used to the big world outside. Thought you would be glad to know that he enjoyed his bed and breakfast stay! I attach a picture of him.
Barbara Jane

[Barbara Jane]

I popped in to my neighbour last evening to find our blackbird in the kitchen sitting on our little friend's arm, quite at home and completely relaxed. He is now four months old and presumably his real black feathers do not appear yet? I am amazed that a wild bird can become so friendly and come in their house with no fear - eating, drinking and then going to bed when the time comes, and the rest of the day out and about like all the others! Has anyone had any such similar experiences?

Barbara Jane

[Jenny]

That's lovely - glad to know s/he's okay and doing so well.

Haven't had blackbirds do that for a long time - used to have one who'd been got by cat who used to tap on the window every day for food - that one used to eat my dog's food whilst he just looked on - he did same with hedgehog too! The other one had a white patch on his wing and was seriously bullied. Took pity on him and he moved into our porch his first winter - total freedom to fly out! Doubt he'd have survived but make it he did and decided porch was ideal nesting place - he kept this practice up for four years! Now we have a more excitable dog and this new place has far more suitable nesting places but we've got four pairs coming into feed, despite this and one likes the window feeders; she brought three juveniles up for water there and not one of them was phased by me preparing veg the other side of the glass!

You're really lucky - a great way to repay your kindness!

[Kerry L]

It's OK, He man has nothing to worry about. Sharkey (territory front garden) has been frequenting the back garden. I have opened the back door early in the morning so I can eat my breakfast in the cool? or near as getting cool as possible. He is quite recogniseable because of his picotee tail - although only half of it is left and he looks extremely ragged at the moment. He now sits by the back door and chirps for his raisins and waits patiently for me to put them down for him. The other day he came up to me and started acting like a baby bird, fluffing his wings at me and cheeping. I was quite flattered, I thought days of attracting members of the opposite sex had long gone - I hope his wife doesn't mind!;) She (with a bald head) comes up and collects a few raisins too, but is not as "tame" as he is. We used to have another male blackbird, who had curly back feathers - he hasn't been around this year. His offspring also had curly back feathers. Two days ago I saw a female with the familiar curls, so granddaughter of Tatty has come back.
Regards Kerry

[Mazz]

Hi all I have a pair of blackbirds nesting in our ivy so far since May they have had three young then they came back but out of the next three only one survived now we have another three eggs ready to hatch it is lovely to watch them as the nest is just at the right hight to see the young.

[Shamal]

Hi all I have a pair of blackbirds nesting in our ivy so far since May they have had three young then they came back but out of the next three only one survived now we have another three eggs ready to hatch it is lovely to watch them as the nest is just at the right hight to see the young.

Excellent, sounds like you have a Blackbird production line in operation ;)

[oasisjack]

In early spring I had a pair or blackbirds nesting in a conifer tree at the foot of my garden. Later on our pair from last year took up their old position in the ivy on my shed. As these two nests were only about 20 yards apart bickering soon broke out culminating in a huge battle between the males accross my patio.
Although it was a great spectacle to watch I new it meant there would only be one nest shortly. Unfortunatley the male from the resident ivy pair won the day driving the other pair (with the more secure nest) out. As cats climb ivy the remaining nest was raided shortly after, just like last year.
So my rotten luck with nesting birds continues. 3 blackbird nests in two years and not a single fledgeling. This is particularly frustrating as my neighbour has house sparrows and jackdaws consistantly nesting successfully in his eaves and chimney!