Blackbird late nest buil?
Discussion
Hi all. We have many birds which come into our garden, and are extremely tame. They are a pair of great tits, a pair of robins, and a pair of blackbirds. They will all feed from our fingers, the tits and robins actually perch on the fingertips and take many worms at once.
Latest anomaly is that the female blackbird has, over the last few days, started to gather large amounts of twigs, grass etc, and takes them up to a large growth of chocolate vine on top of our pergola.
Any ideas? Over the last couple of weeks she has gathered huge beakfuls of the mealworms which we put out for her and flown off with them. This year is the first that a blackbird has become tame, up to now it has been great tits, robins and blue tits. (no blue tits since a few weeks ago - I think they have gone up-market lol) We think that the blackbird is nest-building but it seems a bit late to me, though I am no expert.
Latest anomaly is that the female blackbird has, over the last few days, started to gather large amounts of twigs, grass etc, and takes them up to a large growth of chocolate vine on top of our pergola.
Any ideas? Over the last couple of weeks she has gathered huge beakfuls of the mealworms which we put out for her and flown off with them. This year is the first that a blackbird has become tame, up to now it has been great tits, robins and blue tits. (no blue tits since a few weeks ago - I think they have gone up-market lol) We think that the blackbird is nest-building but it seems a bit late to me, though I am no expert.
I thought blackbirds had 2 or 3 sets of chicks per year (not sure what the collective noun for blackbird fledglings is).
Might be wrong though, ours nest more than once a year, but are stupid and do it in full view of the predators (Magpies mostly), who sit patiently until the eggs are laid and/or hatched, before they visit the nest for dinner.
Might be wrong though, ours nest more than once a year, but are stupid and do it in full view of the predators (Magpies mostly), who sit patiently until the eggs are laid and/or hatched, before they visit the nest for dinner.
I'm no birdwatcher but was alerted by a bunfight outside my patio doors this afternoon. I went out and a magpie/jackdaw flew off rapidly. Turned out a pair of blackbirds had built a nest in the creeper over the door - from a window above I looked down and could see a nest with four blue eggs in it. Three intact and one smashed.
We'll see how many there are tomorrow... you'd think one parent would physically sit on the eggs for protection, but no.
We'll see how many there are tomorrow... you'd think one parent would physically sit on the eggs for protection, but no.
Petemate said:
Hi all. We have many birds which come into our garden, and are extremely tame. They are a pair of great tits, a pair of robins, and a pair of blackbirds. They will all feed from our fingers, the tits and robins actually perch on the fingertips and take many worms at once.
Latest anomaly is that the female blackbird has, over the last few days, started to gather large amounts of twigs, grass etc, and takes them up to a large growth of chocolate vine on top of our pergola.
Any ideas? Over the last couple of weeks she has gathered huge beakfuls of the mealworms which we put out for her and flown off with them. This year is the first that a blackbird has become tame, up to now it has been great tits, robins and blue tits. (no blue tits since a few weeks ago - I think they have gone up-market lol) We think that the blackbird is nest-building but it seems a bit late to me, though I am no expert.
No, it is far from too late. I have never known tits to take food from hand, well done! How did you manage that?Latest anomaly is that the female blackbird has, over the last few days, started to gather large amounts of twigs, grass etc, and takes them up to a large growth of chocolate vine on top of our pergola.
Any ideas? Over the last couple of weeks she has gathered huge beakfuls of the mealworms which we put out for her and flown off with them. This year is the first that a blackbird has become tame, up to now it has been great tits, robins and blue tits. (no blue tits since a few weeks ago - I think they have gone up-market lol) We think that the blackbird is nest-building but it seems a bit late to me, though I am no expert.
Groucho and others - thanks for all the comments. Seems like our blackbird may be nest building again. Can't see into the chocolate vine foliage (maybe she likes the fragrance) as it is too thick.
Regarding the tits. The blue tits last year and the year before were an absolute hoot. One of them (which was tagged) used to do circus-type acrobatics on our washing line next to the robins, which were the first to feed from us, trained by me a year before with a handful of seed down the bottom of the garden. We did some research and started buying meal and wax worms. The cheeky little blighters have a small pot in a cage on the table for the meal worms, but when they see us through the window, they just stand on the table waiting for a wax worm. The blue tits followed the example of the robins (a bit 'monkey see, monkey do') Although we haven't seen the blue tits this year, the great tits have also followed the example of the robins and feed from us all the time. I will try to get one of the video clips my lad has taken on here; it is in my mails.
Groucho - if you are willing to pm me your e-mail address, I can send it to you.
Pete
Regarding the tits. The blue tits last year and the year before were an absolute hoot. One of them (which was tagged) used to do circus-type acrobatics on our washing line next to the robins, which were the first to feed from us, trained by me a year before with a handful of seed down the bottom of the garden. We did some research and started buying meal and wax worms. The cheeky little blighters have a small pot in a cage on the table for the meal worms, but when they see us through the window, they just stand on the table waiting for a wax worm. The blue tits followed the example of the robins (a bit 'monkey see, monkey do') Although we haven't seen the blue tits this year, the great tits have also followed the example of the robins and feed from us all the time. I will try to get one of the video clips my lad has taken on here; it is in my mails.
Groucho - if you are willing to pm me your e-mail address, I can send it to you.
Pete
http://youtu.be/U_WQkloHlb8
Great TiT feeding off my hand.
Petemate is my Dad.
Great TiT feeding off my hand.
Petemate is my Dad.
Edited by DAVEVO9 on Friday 30th May 22:35
DAVEVO9 said:
http://youtu.be/U_WQkloHlb8
Great TiT feeding off my hand.
Petemate is my Dad.
wow!!! that's fantastic. Great TiT feeding off my hand.
Petemate is my Dad.
Edited by DAVEVO9 on Friday 30th May 22:35
Ive also never heard of anyone getting tits to feed from the hand...our robin will sometimes, but nothing else. Im very jealous!
Nightmare said:
DAVEVO9 said:
http://youtu.be/U_WQkloHlb8
Great TiT feeding off my hand.
Petemate is my Dad.
wow!!! that's fantastic. Great TiT feeding off my hand.
Petemate is my Dad.
Edited by DAVEVO9 on Friday 30th May 22:35
Ive also never heard of anyone getting tits to feed from the hand...our robin will sometimes, but nothing else. Im very jealous!
Send it to BBC Springwatch and see if they will play it on their show or "after-show" programs.
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