| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| bodger |
Forget protecting Ospreys nesting sites !We even protect our blackbirds. I was just about to pull this rubbish out of the calf trailer when I fortunately spotted this little lady on her nest.
A nice bit of protective barbed wire. 
I'll hopefully be able to get some pictures of the chicks over the days to come. 
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| mihto |
Thank you for that post! 
What a nice way to end the weekend
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| GSHP |
What lovely photos.
We seem to have a 'green' wren. She has recycled two swallows nest to make one to suit her requirements. 
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| GSHP |
Bodger how are your blackbirds doing? These hatched 5th April. 2nd photo today.
Edited for spelling. |
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| bodger |
I suppose one is better than none, but for some reason our blackbird has not been particularly successful this time around.
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| Tavascarow |
I imagine the cold weather we have had will have affected the amount of insect food available. Early enough for them to rear a second brood. 
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| Pel |
Sure its not a cuckoo? they go and steal nests.. though i've no idea what a baby cuckoo looks like or how many chicks a blackbird normally raises, i was guessing 3 eggs. | ||||
| GSHP |
Cuckoo young are barred in colour and would be at least twice the size as a blackbird chick of the same age.
Blackbirds lay between 4 -6 eggs.4 being the usual. |
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| Tavascarow |
& cuckoos choose reed warbler, pipits & dunnock nests to lay in & very rarely even a wren nest but I have never heard of them laying in a blackbirds nest. |
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| mihto |
http://www.springerlink.com/content/d0307m1880148713/ The paper states that a cuckoo can nest in blackbird nests but rarely survives. Would be quite a sensation if this was a cuckoo. Nice pics! Keep them coming! |
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| bodger |
It would, because it would have to be a very rare chameleon blackbird. It is indeed a blackbird chick.
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| Woodburner |
Fab photos!
I frequently have a blackbirds nest near my back door, but I'm lucky if I can see the nestlings' beaks!
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| judith |
I have seen a cuckoo reared by blackbirds - they used to visit my bird table. |
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| mihto |
Very interesting I have no personal experience and have relied on the net for info. Glad to see that you beat our know-it-all Wikipedia.
Luckily Nature follows its own laws and could not care less about whatever Science decides is right. Do you have pics from your bird table with other species? |
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| judith |
Absolutely. Sadly I don't have any pictures. It was at my previous house, back in the pre-digital camera days (for me, at least). And I am a terrible photographer in any case, so any pictures would be of the "vague blob on the lawn" variety! |