Blackbirds

Young Blackbird © 2013 Steve Ward

There are currently two male  blackbirds that visit the garden.  In order to identify them they are called the "Real Mr Black" and "Impostor Black"!

The Real one, is the one whose area it is, he is quite distinguished looking with a silver patch on his front!  And he has been around for a while.  The other is chubbier and fully black in colour, and is a newer visitor to the garden.

They both have families to feed and I've seen both in the garden feeding their young ones.

The Real Mr Black has had a second brood and this morning I saw him feeding one of these.  Of course as soon as you get your camera out they disappear!  I have discovered that all birds and wildlife are camera shy!!!

He is having a bit of a tough time of it at the moment, feeding his young, chasing Impostor Black away and suffering in the hot weather we are having at the moment.  Lots of beak open and stretching of wings, trying to cool off.  His young one seems to be camped out under the mahonia bush near where I put the mealworms.  So dad has been running out, grabbing a beak load of worms and then running back under the bush to feed it.

There is a female blackbird that visits but not as often as the male, and he doesn't chase her off, so I think they must be a pair.

The photo is one that Steve took a couple of weeks ago.  I've not managed to get any photos yet of any of the young ones!