What a busy garden this year! (1 Viewer)

I've been away from this board ever such a long time, as my computer broke down and I lost *all* my links, plus it was winter so I didn't have as much to share bird-wise- but now spring has come I was itching to share all the happenings in my garden! It's a very busy spring! My blackbird (resident male 3 years now), Soot, has successfully fended off fights from another male over the territory, and is now rearing his first brood. His mate, Smudge, started building the nest in February, when we had all that snow!! I was very surprised at the time but they've been successful so far. Now, the great thing about this nest is, is that it's built in a beech hedge full of dead leaves, in between our garden fence and the conservatory of the garden that backs on to ours. If I stand next to this bush we have in our garden and lean forwards to peek round the fence (as next to the fence we have trellis that can be seen through) I can see the nest! Yesterday I dared to have a peep in as Soot was going in to feed the chicks, he saw me and was fine about it, hopping on to the nest and feeding his chicks! I was so excited when all these little bald heads on long skinny nests popped up and I saw him feeding them. This was very special to me as I've tamed this bird enough so that he'll take raisins from my hand and he even comes into the kitchen! For me to be able to see what is usually hidden behind conifer branches and is very private was just wonderful!

Also in the garden we have dunnocks building a nest in the conifers on the right, and linnets in the conifers on the left! I am really excited about the linnets- 14 years ago when I first moved here we had a linnets nest on the front, and every night I'd leave my window open so that the beautiful song of the male would wake me up. I think one nest was successful but when another was built further down in the same hedge, the female later abandoned the 4 eggs she'd layed. I was very sad about it and have always hoped the linnets would come and nest in the garden again- 14 years later it finally happens!! I'll be watching this nest with extra special interest. I always worry at the egg-very small chick stage though, because of dreaded magpies. Grrr.

Hi Laura. Good to see you around again. Well done on all your birds! Especially the Linnets! Hope it all goes well.

Thanks. There will be updates, I'm somewhat addicted to gabbling on about what my blackbirds are up to, and the linnets are a real treat!!

Fantastic news Laura, you sure are having a great start to the season. Good luck with the linnets.

Thanks. They had a little mate today (it was literally hop on, hop off, lol) so perhaps those eggs will be along soon.

It never ceases to entertain me what precise little flyers they are. The female comes undulating through the sky over the conifers on the right of the garden and flies straight into the conifers on the left of the garden, whilst the male has a fabulous sing song while he waits for her. It's not very discreet really (but I'm certainly not complaining as I love listening to a linnets song) as that's what drew my attention to the fact I thought they may be nesting nearby- but as long as it doesn't draw the attention of any rampaging magpies, alls good.

Lovely thread Laura keep it going and I also hope all goes well.

Stewart

:clap:

Thanks- all is still going well! The female blackbird this year is absolutely GORGEOUS. Last years female, Heather, though I did love her, was sort of bossy and demanding (she bossed poor Soot around a lot, lol). Smudge, this years female, is so soft and gentle and sweet- she has such an adorable nature. She's got used to me ever so quickly and isn't at all scared when I'm out in the garden. Now the fledglings have left the first nest, she's built another one in a climber in our garden; it's right next to our garage and you can see into it from the conservatory- I can see when she's sitting on it coz I can see her yellow beak through the leaves. When going to the garage I've had a little peep in (not touching any leaves or getting too close, but just looking) and she's noticed me and not moved a feather, just blinked at me. I am always talking to my birds so they get used to me, so whenever I go past I say hello to her and ask her if she's nice and cozy, or suchlike. Bet the neighbours think I'm bonkers! hehehehe. I've been chopping pears up for them (the Blackbirds that is, not the neighbours, hahaha) and so far between the family they've eaten a pear every day. The first brood of fledglings have started to clumsily flutter about the garden now too. The linnets are still coming and going- I think she's finished building the nest now. Yesterday I was sitting on the garden and the male came on to the aerial of the house and was singing, and from the nest the female was twittering right back. I do love this time of year! Soot has been singing a lot now as well, so it's so nice to just be sitting in the conservatory (which we didn't have last year) and listen to him singing and watch the goings on in the garden.

:0)

Hi Laura

Nice thread, do you know how long the Blackbird youngsters will stay with their parents?

Hi Laura

Smudge sounds like a lovely little mate. I peeked at your gallery hoping to see an image or two of your blackbirds and your garden. Maybe you could snap a pic of them sometime?

Kay

OOH pcitures, that's something I have a lot of Kay! Well, from last year any rate- the sad thing is, my stupid computer (which has always been going wrong ever since I got it) now doesn't recognise it has a disc drive, and all my photos are on disc! I will be getting new pics this year that I can upload- when my camera is fixed (it broke on holiday- a fault with the zoom mechanism on the lens- it's a new, good range zoom I'm so excited to use- then it goes and breaks before the first brood are out and about- grr!). I did make a collage of the best pictures I have of Soot- I'll link to that.

As for how long Blackbird fledgies stay with their parents- I don't 'officially' know but I have noticed that the parents seem to start chasing them off not that long after the fledglings have grown their tails fully- this sounds random I know but I'm a weird person who doesn't like numbers at all- even the simplest things I always have to remind myself, like how long female sits on eggs etc. I seem to make sense of things more easily visually than with time, lol. I guess it takes about 2 or 3 weeks for the fledglings to grow their tail (since leaving the nest this is) and after this Daddy seems to feed them for a week or so (while female is sitting most of the time) and then the parents start to chase them off if they come back. Usually they seem to chase them off when they have the next lot to worry about- which coincides with the time when the fledglings are big enough to take care of themselves. So, I would *guess* it's around 3 weeks from leaving the nest. There's prolly someone out there who can be more precise, lol. Plus not so long winded explaining. I guess I just don't have much of a sense of time- I am very much a 'now' person. hehe.