Blackbirds are ground feeders, yes, but they do also like fruit and seeds.
It's a slightly strange feeling to see the excitement about murmurations, the videos and things, lovely as they are. The sky dances were so common when I was a kid. Like huge numbers of swifts and swallows and sparrows.
I miss other members of the thrush family so much; blackbirds have done well but song thrush and missle thrush are so rare where I am. They used to be as common as blackbirds when I was small. We never see fieldfare or redwing.
Such a tragedy that starling, thrush and bird numbers generally have plummeted so hard during my lifetime. I'm not yet 50.
I have two ground feeders, one is left uncovered for the large birds ie magpies and collard doves, the other has a cage over it for the smaller birds ie dunnocks and yes blackbirds as well. Also scatter food under shrubs and hanging feeders.
I have two ground feeders, one is left uncovered for the large birds ie magpies and collard doves, the other has a cage over it for the smaller birds ie dunnocks and yes blackbirds as well. Also scatter food under shrubs and hanging feeders.
I have this same setup but the caged ground feeder never gets touched. Even when I leave out poorer quality seed mix in the open, the wrens and dunnocks will head for that and ignore the sunflower hearts, suet pellets and mealworms under cover. In over a year, I have never seen a bird go into the CJ Wildlife guardian cage over the ground feeder or when it was hung up with fat balls in.
Blackbirds always seem such thoughtful birds. They'll see the food, stare at it, think about it for a while - meanwhile a starling swoops in and eats it!
My blackbirds' favourite is sultanas - eaten before dried mealworms. There's a female one with some white markings which I've known for around 4 years. She takes sultanas from the hand, and nests in the garden.
I've had hand-tame starlings in the past too - have to get to know them when not long out of the nest.
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My blackbirds' favourite is sultanas - eaten before dried mealworms. There's a female one with some white markings which I've known for around 4 years. She takes sultanas from the hand, and nests in the garden.
I've had hand-tame starlings in the past too - have to get to know them when not long out of the nest.