sandeyeBIRD NEWS: 6
February 7th 2012 14:29
Today, I thought I would talk a little about the common British blackbird. It is one of the birds Dad has had in his garden for as long as I have lived here - aka 1966-1988 and 2009-present.
Most days, I will spot at least one blackbird in the yard. Yesterday, a female blackbird was spotted 'walking on water' on Dad's pond. She was standing on what must have been a chunk of ice under the water and pecking at bugs in the semi-frozen algae. Later on, I spotted her collecting nesting material, and later still, I spotted her grab a chunk of something from the feeding table and munch it on the ground. The resident male, was seen during the day taking a drink from the bird bath, pecking crumbs under the bird table, and chattering from the tree.
The male is indeed black, however the female - and also juveniles - are more of a dark brown color. It is not unusual for some blackbirds to have white patches, which are known as 'leucism'. Some may even be full albino. These birds are approximately 10 inches - 25cm - in length.
Laying circa 5 eggs at a time, the nests are made from such material as grass, mud, roots, etc - and then lined with fine grasses. They nest in trees or bushes - and we have a potential nest going on in Dad's Laurel tree right now!
The diet of the British blackbird consists mainly of snails, worms, other grubs and bugs, some berries, and in garden areas they seem to be quite fond of a piece of bread or cheese. The blackbird's song is fresh, songful and whistley. They will sit in a tree and warn others of potential danger with a sharp 'eek eek' that can become persistant.
Most days, I will spot at least one blackbird in the yard. Yesterday, a female blackbird was spotted 'walking on water' on Dad's pond. She was standing on what must have been a chunk of ice under the water and pecking at bugs in the semi-frozen algae. Later on, I spotted her collecting nesting material, and later still, I spotted her grab a chunk of something from the feeding table and munch it on the ground. The resident male, was seen during the day taking a drink from the bird bath, pecking crumbs under the bird table, and chattering from the tree.
The male is indeed black, however the female - and also juveniles - are more of a dark brown color. It is not unusual for some blackbirds to have white patches, which are known as 'leucism'. Some may even be full albino. These birds are approximately 10 inches - 25cm - in length.
Laying circa 5 eggs at a time, the nests are made from such material as grass, mud, roots, etc - and then lined with fine grasses. They nest in trees or bushes - and we have a potential nest going on in Dad's Laurel tree right now!
The diet of the British blackbird consists mainly of snails, worms, other grubs and bugs, some berries, and in garden areas they seem to be quite fond of a piece of bread or cheese. The blackbird's song is fresh, songful and whistley. They will sit in a tree and warn others of potential danger with a sharp 'eek eek' that can become persistant.
| 22 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by RJDiogenes
Comment by sandeye
Bird Story
San Francisco Music News
Yoga Tap