blackbirds

For some months now a blackbird has adopted me as a food source it started following me in the garden when digging and helping itself to worms etc,it then was waiting for me everytime I went out and I found myself just digging to get worms for the bird.She started to build a nest and was stuggling to get mud in the dry spell I made some up and mixed moss in it she eagerly used this, I then started throwing some mealworms and eventually she came to accept them out of my fingers she even follows me into the greenhouse and pollytunnel when she waits until I give her the mealworms, the brood is now in the garden so she's keeping me busy I am waiting for her to bring the young ones in on the easy feed.
Here are a few shots difficult to do with one hand holding the mealworm the other trying to take the picture (excuse the thumb it was attacked with a hacksaw).

 

Walnut, that's great! The blackbird in my garden has started taking notice of my digging and will come very close too, but we haven't reached such personal terms yet! My sparrows are getting quite brave too!

Lovely isn't it?!

 

Brilliant photos Walnut,you have a friend for life

 

We visited a friend this past Monday and she has a sparrow in the garden that comes up to her patio door to be fed. It has even come into the house several times and goes from room to room. Then there are a couple of mice that also come to be fed on the patio wall but she refuses to have these in the house.

 

We have mice that come to visit,usually in the mouths of my two cats,just before they eat them :D

 

I was in my conservatory the other day with the door open. I heard a pattering sound on the carpet, looked down and a baby blackbird ran over my foot, went back the other way and then through the dining room and into the kitchen. I think the darned things want to take over the house!
Where I am growing my vegetables there is a tame blackbird, so tame I have to watch where I put my feet. While digging what was grass I found the larvae of what i think is cockchafer, it was huge. The robin looked quite frightened but the blackbird dived in, it thought Christmas had come early.
At home the dog, a German Shepherd, seems to be getting used to the blackbirds and their chicks. The other day we returned home and the dog found a newly dead chick with its head bitten off. If we had been at home i don't think the cat that was responsible would have dared enter the garden.

 

I have discovered a lodger in one of my wall baskets and I'm hopeing to get some photos of her without disturbing her . She is a beautiful blackbird and has laid at least 3 eggs.

Will post the pics if I can get good results

 

Walnut - how is your hand-fed blackbird doing?

Davris - have you been able to get some shots of your wall-basket lodger?

 

She's fine Kedi the male is busy round the garden feeding is fledglings she has built another nest( in next doors garden the traitor)as soon as she hears the greenhouse door she appears for her feed, she follows me into the greenhouse and poly tunnel she has no fear of me.

 

I always thought blackbirds had to feed off a table like structure. Ours seem to have managed the fat ball feeder. They flap their wings furiously and hang on with their feet while grabbing a lump of fat before falling off. seemed to have been efficient at collecting food because they filled the gardens with their fledgelings.They are now producing another clutch of eggs so things are relatively quiet at the moment.

 

I would LOVE the birds to nest in our garden. I have no fewer than 5 (empty) nest boxes, have a wall filled with clematis, honeysuckle and jasmines (with no nesting birds anywhere near), and another purpose built perfect (but yet to be occupied) wall covered in honeysuckle and climbing roses. We feed the birds, and many bring their young to be fed - including blackbirds, goldfinches, bluetits, greenfinches, sparrows, a bullfinch once, and blackbirds. We have had songthrushes collecting food for their presumably nesting chicks.

One year, I myself heard fluttering, and found a songthrush in the dining room. The poor thing got startled, and started battering itself on the windows. I tried to catch it, and opened a window for it to get out. Unfortunately, it flew out the open window, and I was left holding it's tail in my hand. A most awful moment. I use a towel now (to throw over the bird before catching).

Just a warning about fat balls. I had a friend who had two horrible incidents - one where a sparrow caught it's foot in the mesh of the fatball (but she managed to release it), and a poor starling who was hung by it's trapped tongue. I have taken the mesh off them, and just served the ball un-encased on the birdtable since then.

 

Took these pics last night, as you can see they will shortly be flying the nest.

Also had a Thrush nesting but they abandoned the four eggs, a few days later the eggs had gone, suppose a Magpie or something took them.

Don't know why they abandoned it, such a shame after all that effort.

 

Oh, how lovely, those 4 little faces looking out and trying to get the courage up to come out into this bad world.

 

Yes you should always take the mesh off the fat balls. I put mine in a sort of wire basket. You can buy them as a sort of green plastic coated open basket. You can then either buy a big fat ball or bags of the little ones. It certainly seems to be the favourite food in our garden.
Do the birds ever take an interest in the nest boxes? i read that you should not have them too close together. Most birds don't like neighbours of the same species. Also which way are they facing? They should be in shade so that the eggs and chicks don't get cooked.
I have had birds nesting in a clematis armandii but I never found out until I was tidying up the plant much later. Some birds are very secretive about going into and coming out of the nest.