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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 21st June, 2019)

Not to be viewed before breakfast...


Not to be viewed before breakfast...
There’s been a scruffy-looking blackbird in our garden from before we moved in. This could be him - or his son (they can live up to 20 years, the RSPB says). He’s cock of the walk though, and sees off any other males who intrude into his space - although at present he seems to be more concerned about fetching food for his nestlings.
He has masses of feathers in the spring - looking as if he’s wearing feathery plus-fours, but he usually ends up looking like this after plucking them out to please his mate by giving her a nice, feather-bedded nest.

Photo: David Long  (Sony SLT-A65V)
Views: 2,354

Comment by: DTease on 21st June 2019 at 00:25

He’s almost oven ready isn’t he?

Comment by: fred on 21st June 2019 at 06:00

has mick ruffled his feathers as well as everyone else's ???

Comment by: Mick on 21st June 2019 at 07:27

Looks like somebody's cat had him

Comment by: Anne on 21st June 2019 at 08:11

He'll be ok, Feathers soon grow back.

Comment by: DTease on 21st June 2019 at 08:13

I,ve known mornings when i’ve woken up feeling like that.

Comment by: kath on 21st June 2019 at 08:26

what a character, We have blackbirds nesting in a honeysuckle. One day I watched them dive bombing a magpie that was in there after the nest. I've not seen fledglings so maybe the magpie got the eggs

Comment by: Rev David Long on 21st June 2019 at 08:28

Now you've upset my wife, DT! This is her favourite bird in the garden. She gets very anxious if it doesn't appear first thing each morning.

Comment by: Philip G. on 21st June 2019 at 08:54

He's experiencing moult after breeding, and will return to 'fine fettle' in due course. I'd set him a few Pobs, just to cheer him up.

Comment by: Gary on 21st June 2019 at 08:59

Enjoyed this one.
We have resident blackbirds - however, 20 years?
Ours have managed five at best, but the families go on.

Comment by: Poet on 21st June 2019 at 09:41

A melodious fellow for all his tat.
Was not Beethoven once imprisoned for vagrancy?..... and it was said of Vaughan Williams that he looked like an armchair with the stuffing coming out.

Comment by: Maureen on 21st June 2019 at 11:37

Awww bless him, they’re very clever birds, I read about woman having to keep going into the house thinking she’d heard the phone ring,it turns out the blackbird had learned how to mimic the telephone ..they are brilliant at mimicking any type of sound.

Comment by: DTease on 21st June 2019 at 17:51

It’s nice to know that someone loves him Rev David.

Comment by: Carolaen on 21st June 2019 at 17:55

Maureen. The mimic is probably a Starling. They are absolutely brilliant. I have them so phone rings and most impressive a lawn mower !!

Comment by: Philip G. on 21st June 2019 at 18:54

Two Big Guns there Poet - both of whom must have written some pretty tasty avian stuff in their time. Nicely.

Comment by: Veronica on 21st June 2019 at 19:59

Even in the bird world it seems there are down 'n' out bedraggled blackbirds! A saucer wouldn't go amiss....

Comment by: DTease on 21st June 2019 at 20:33

He looks like he’s saying to himself “That’s the last time I argue about Brexit with that bl—dy Magpie!!”

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