Blackbirds - mating pairs

[naturelover]

" PASTRY" thats a rude word to me now,bin there done that when the kids were at home,i now buy all pies,cakes,and tarts,lazy arnt i.

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

After eating an apple, I always throw the core into the garden for the blackbirds - they seem to love them.

Yes, they'll eat everything bar the skin. Makes me wonder what's on the skin that puts them off. No doubt loads of chemical residue..lovely!
Perhaps I should follow their methods and not eat the skin myself.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by naturelover

" PASTRY" thats a rude word to me now,bin there done that when the kids were at home,i now buy all pies,cakes,and tarts,lazy arnt i.

I do cheat, I buy frozen.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by naturelover

graham i didnt realise blackbirds liked apples,i shall be giving mine some tomorrow.

My wife and I called in at the Top Lodge visitor centre in Fineshade Woods (part of Rockingham Forest), Northants a couple of weekends ago and in the old orchard between the centre and the car park there was a large mixed flock of Blackbirds, Thrushes, Fieldfares and Redwings feasting in/under the apple trees and apparently completely oblivious to the passers-by.

Jeff

[lulubella]

A horrible blusterywet and windy good morning to you all - another day when the birds will be reluctant to come out. About blackbirds - we did have about ten who spend the day in our garden but unfotuantely the sparrowhawk got lucky on two occasions so now we are down to eight. They are a mix of male and female, but the females won't let the males anywhere near them. As there are nesting boxes and old nest hung around the garden, that are not in use, I can only think it means that they are not pairing up yet - we live in NE Derbyshire, - wonder if location has anything to do with it? Regarding fruit - our apples do nto seem to get touched, but the b/birds absolutely adore strawberries. We have a planter just outside the kitchen window and last Summer we watched on several occasions where the blackbirds, flew, hovered, and actually picked the strawberries off the plant. If we found any that weren't goot enough to eat and left those on the table near the kitchen window, they would land on the table, pick them up and fly off with them. However, we are plagued with rats (live next to a woodland area, a field and near the M1 - the rat man told me that rrats adore apples and will travel miles for them, so we are a bit wary - don't want to encourage them, though I know they ae only trying to live.

Sue

[Birdie]

We have around 15 blackbirds in our garden, the reason being, I think is because we have two apple trees. The trees are now bare, but the remaining apples that were left on the floor are now on our compost heap (another favourite place for my blackbirds). A couple of weeks ago, when there was still a few apples lingering around, I must have had around 20 -25 black birds, happily munching away on the apples. I would have to go out there on a daily basis to clear all the apple skins away. It was funny what they left behind, the core and skin at the bottom, it was like a bowl made of apple skin.

However, I did notice that the apples etc had also attracted a rat. My garden backs onto a field that has horses and farm land, so I guess it is expected. But as I have kids who like to play in the garden, I have had to stop putting food on the ground for the moment and thankfully I haven't seen any signs that the rat has come back.