Tormented by a Blackbird…

[Foxyboy43]

Many years ago my now late Uncle taught me how to call Blackbirds to my garden and being a bit of an old eejit I have done this ever since - any males (of which there are a lot) we christen Billy in his memory - yep I’m an eejit!
This year for the first time ever I find that it is me who is being trained by a Hen Blackbird who has perfected attracting my attention by noisily tramping up and down the conservatory roof and gutters whilst staring in at me - pretty much making it clear that this will continue until I give in and give her a few raisins - most of which she takes to yet another brood. In all the years I have been doing it I have never experienced anything like this sooo my question is - anyone else being subjected to such harassment or is it me?

The rascal has just landed on the conservatory again as I type - I swear she’s reading this….

 

[Smellydog]

Cats keep getting in the garden hedge and raiding our pair of blackbirds.
She has decided my bike , hung up on the wall in the outbuilding with a handy rear rack is a much better option!
They hatched yesterday.
Every time I open the door I bid her good day and she just stares at me bemused, I'm use to this behaviour from the Mrs so I know all is well....as long as she doesn't start flapping I know I'm not in trouble!

 

[WalkedUp]

I [delete]. … hmmm: my dogs like to stretch their legs, occasionally using any marauding cats as pace makers. The garden is open onto fields at the back so the cats must learn to turn like a hare. We don’t have many cats that come near. The dogs are not allowed into the garden except under instruction.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Cats keep getting in the garden hedge and raiding our pair of blackbirds.
She has decided my bike , hung up on the wall in the outbuilding with a handy rear rack is a much better option!
They hatched yesterday.
Every time I open the door I bid her good day and she just stares at me bemused, I'm use to this behaviour from the Mrs so I know all is well....as long as she doesn't start flapping I know I'm not in trouble!

They do have a character all of their own Smelly and very reassuring to read that I am not the only eejit one who talks to the birds…

 

[Fosbery Holster]

We have male Blackbird who will announce his presence by singing as loud as possible on the drystone wall corner just to remind us that he requires his daily apple, not a whole apple but one cut in half, he’s more demanding in the winter months probably because of the lack in his more natural diet, but he’s always welcome.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

We have a male black bird that comes and sits in the TV ariel above our roof and sings his head off each morning. It is to me one of the most wonderful sounds to be able to sit at the front door with my morning cuppa and listen to while I wake up to face each day. Long may he live, he's always welcome here!

 

[Ratel]

I have one or two blackbirds but they tend not to sing anymore. They daren't sit on the roof or treetops as we have a recent pair of.sparrow hawks hitting our garden regularly. We have lost our.Missel thrushes to them and haven't seen our songthrush for weeks

 

[Foxyboy43]

I have one or two blackbirds but they tend not to sing anymore. They daren't sit on the roof or treetops as we have a recent pair of.sparrow hawks hitting our garden regularly. We have lost our.Missel thrushes to them and haven't seen our songthrush for weeks

Wow. We have a pair of SHs which cause havoc with our songbirds on a daily basis and have done for many generations but I have never seen them take one of “our” Blackbirds. Mind you when they are about the blackies do hide under our garden chairs.
Gotta go - Madam is on the doorstep….

 

[Camdig]

We have three pairs of blackbirds this year round the house, never known them to tolerate each other so close anyway the hen that has successfully fledged seven chick's over two sittings in the garage/chicken over flow area will tap on the window if the good lady hasn't dished out the chicken feed early enough, will be interesting to see if she has a third sitting, she is more than happy to come to you if you are pottering in garden. Lovely to watch and hear.

 

[Foxyboy43]

We have three pairs of blackbirds this year round the house, never known them to tolerate each other so close anyway the hen that has successfully fledged seven chick's over two sittings in the garage/chicken over flow area will tap on the window if the good lady hasn't dished out the chicken feed early enough, will be interesting to see if she has a third sitting, she is more than happy to come to you if you are pottering in garden. Lovely to watch and hear.

A joy to behold indeed C.

 

[Smellydog]

I found a SH nest last year, the bottom of the tree was covered with black bird remains.
Little bastards, smart though they are.

 

[WalkedUp]

Hate what they do, but love how they do it

 

[downwind]

Pleased to say that our Blackbirds don't seem to be taken by Sparrow hawks Starlings, however, don't fare so well in the winter!

 

[Foxyboy43]

Our sparrowhawks like putting holes in my polytunnel!

Occasionally they do get an attack wrong though….

 

[Camdig]

This hen spar got the hang of using one of the chicken pens to catch it's prey, yellow hammer specialist this one.

 

[VSS]

Cats keep getting in the garden hedge and raiding our pair of blackbirds.
She has decided my bike , hung up on the wall in the outbuilding with a handy rear rack is a much better option!
They hatched yesterday.
Every time I open the door I bid her good day and she just stares at me bemused, I'm use to this behaviour from the Mrs so I know all is well....as long as she doesn't start flapping I know I'm not in trouble!

I remember, when I was a small child, a robin nested in the basket on the front of my mum's bike. At the time, my father was still based in our London house during the week, and the rest of us had made the move to Norfolk. Every evening mum cycled to the phone box to call dad, accompanied by the robin. This continued right through the incubation period, and the whole time the chicks were in the nest.

 

[Smellydog]

I remember, when I was a small child, a robin nested in the basket on the front of my mum's bike. At the time, my father was still based in our London house during the week, and the rest of us had made the move to Norfolk. Every evening mum cycled to the phone box to call dad, accompanied by the robin. This continued right through the incubation period, and the whole time the chicks were in the nest.

Thats awesome

 

[Craigsaun]

We have a pied wagtail nesting in our loader tractor. We have kept the use down to minimum but we will be doing our silage next week and I have to say I am a bit concerned. When we are using it the both parents follow the tractor around the yard so we make sure we always park it in the same spot

 

[hunter243]

A first for me regarding Blackbird behaviour - A Blackbird started building in a ladder on a shed wall in view of the kitchen window. Over a few days I watched the male taking nesting material into 4 different spaces, usually going into each consecutive space alternatively. It ended up with 1 completely built nest and 3 others in different stages of completion.
Out of 4 eggs, 3 hatched and 2 successfully fledged.

 

[kripton]

I have a robin that comes in and flies around my lounge - It is not popular with my daughter as it sits on the (cold) kettle and then poops down the side!