We have 12 blackbirds regularly waiting for the breakfast feed. They stamp about in the garden when I draw the bedroom curtains. While the kettle is boiling, I put feed out and they sit in the magnolia. As soon as my back is turned, they are down on the lawn feeding.
We had a bumper crop of apples this year, and I have only just got through them all, the blackbirds were getting through 3 or 4 apples a day.
I too have a male and two female blackbirds who often sit on the fence and 'shout' at me if I am late putting their food out.
Had a juvinile male around for a couple of year who had a white patch on his chest and a very short tail - we called him 'Dot'.
After 'trimming' a very overgrown dog last weekend I will be putting the hair clippings in one of my trees, near the feeders so the birds have lovely soft linings for their nests!
As a child, we had a lovely pair of golden retrievers... I remember finding an empty fallen nest once which was made so beautifully from the dogs hair! We now have a boxer... No more dog hair nests
Next door have a fluffy tortoiseshell cat - the bluetit nest we removed from our nest box last autumn was made almost totally of the cat's hair and little bits of moss.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have a male living in the orchard, he looks like somethings had a go at him, only one tail feather left. He's gorging himself on the rotting apples which may be a little fermented, he has a real attitude when he's been at the apples.
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We have 12 blackbirds regularly waiting for the breakfast feed. They stamp about in the garden when I draw the bedroom curtains. While the kettle is boiling, I put feed out and they sit in the magnolia. As soon as my back is turned, they are down on the lawn feeding.
We had a bumper crop of apples this year, and I have only just got through them all, the blackbirds were getting through 3 or 4 apples a day.
Gmaiden - I now have a picture in my head of a massive pigeon with a soggy bottom...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I too have a male and two female blackbirds who often sit on the fence and 'shout' at me if I am late putting their food out.
Had a juvinile male around for a couple of year who had a white patch on his chest and a very short tail - we called him 'Dot'.
After 'trimming' a very overgrown dog last weekend I will be putting the hair clippings in one of my trees, near the feeders so the birds have lovely soft linings for their nests!
And isn't their glorious song worth every penny we spend feeding them
SFord - my youngest daughter was very embarrassed when I said I was going to take all the hair from her hairbrush to put out for the birds!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Poor picture but one of my visitors today.
I love the songs 'my' blackbird sings, summer would not be the same without him.
Next door have a fluffy tortoiseshell cat - the bluetit nest we removed from our nest box last autumn was made almost totally of the cat's hair and little bits of moss.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have a male living in the orchard, he looks like somethings had a go at him, only one tail feather left. He's gorging himself on the rotting apples which may be a little fermented, he has a real attitude when he's been at the apples.