Blackbird .Turdus merula ,,Update 1/8/2012

 bluetits, bullfinch, chicks, greenfinch, robin, siskins,sparrow. Blackbirds, and cats

Sylvester quite unawares of what was happening in the garden,

I took the Virginia creeper off the garage roof  a month ago in order to paint the tin sheets (stop the rust)  the lighter colour of the roof is where I took the wire off that the creeper climbed on,  it actually went over and covered the other side of the roof a great place for the birds to hide while drinking from the truffing (gutter)  that also has been renewed as the old steel g gutter was quite corroded and the heads of the holding nails had vanished, i.e. rusted away  guess its lasted a good number of years the house is 1900 and i guess the garage is 30s/40s, this house has got a stable block that I changed now its part of the house  what we call a granny flat,

Looking down the truffin at what the birds drink its also a place where bugs hide. this young one had follow her parents to the drinking hole and lost its footing ending up on the floor much to the delight of our two young kittens, Pam grabbed the chick as I ran in the house to get the camera. much to Pam’s disapproval.  save the chick she shouted  not that I had much chance as I saw she already had the situation in hand.

The chick was quite at home in Pam’s hands while I dug it up some worms when I got the worms it was almost asleep.

After a good feed pam put the chick in one of the planters while she got the cats together and locked the cat flaps to stop them getting out of the house.

Then I noticed Saphy our tonkinese she was acting as if to say ,whats happening, as she ate some grass, and was very put out as we grabbed her and put her indoors, at least until we find out where the chicks parents are . at this time we did not know whether the nest was in the front or the back garden or even if it was from our garden as there was no sign of any adult blackbirds,

We have hand reared many a chick, but its best to find its parents first, so I chanced putting the chick on the front garden feeder, where I had seen the adult birds with beaks full of food for their nestlings over the past few days, after I put the chick in the tray I went indoors to my front room what I call my bird hide to keep an eye on the situation . the chick was not bothered about its ordeal as it was preening itself. then it started calling for its parents .

First the mum came to make sure it was hers,

the mum got up close before it flew off to get some food.

This one is three months old now from the first hatch,must be the sister of the chick as it soon came back with some of the easier food like the seeds off the floor from the feeder.

Then the dad came back with beak filled with worms,3 times

One big worm.

The mother feeding it with seeds.

the feeding had stopped for about half an hour then the dad started calling from the hedge it flew a couple of times on the from then back in the hedge,then I went back out to get a few close up shots before it flew off into the hedge row with its parents after I went back inside the chick and its family had disappeared ,

The front garden after emptying the feeder  2012 tray after the finches August 1st  one of the young blackbirds is the rescued chick.  

Young un having a tantrum because dad is not picking the seeds up fast enough

I am sure there was some birds on here earlier

the other birds on the feeder today, two male siskin.

two blue-tits with the female siskin,

two male juvenile siskin.

Male house sparrow.

Male Chaffinch,greenfinch and female siskin.

blue-tit,Two male and a female greenfinch

male and female siskin

two fledgeling chaffinch,

Male juvenile chaffinch

fledgeling blue-tit,

Robin keeping an eye on its territory.

A rare visitor to my garden the male bull finch.

Sylvester decides to wake up. looking as if to say have i missed anything interesting.