Days in the life of an urban garden ...

[Picidae]

A little 'snippet' for you in the life of my resident pair of Blackbirds:

JANUARY 2010:

After a 2-way standoff over a berry bush during the snowy period between the two resident Blackbirds and 2 visiting Song Thrush (when one Song Thrush gives up and leaves the scene), the Blackbirds 'allow' the sole remaining Song Thrush to feed in, what for the Blackbirds, by prescriptive occupier's rights, has come to be 'their' garden. Emotions, however, run high and, well, it's all just a little tense. A tension, eased only marginally when, after a heavy snowfall one night, a sudden and unexplainable phenomenon appears in the form of mushy bits of out of season apples scattered around the bushes. The unexpected arrival of a Redwing later in the week, present both protagonist and antagonist with a 'common enemy' and, for a while at least, male Blackbird and Song Thrush came to an uneasy truce as they purveyed this stranger amongst them and questioned the impact this new 'situation' might have on the mushy apple supply.

A few days after the thaw and memory of hard times is short. Male Blackbird is making himself rather assertive again. Song Thrush is to be seen making regular mousy skittish runs across the patio with male Blackbird in tow. Entering into this little field of conflict taking place in an unassuming urban back garden, is the potential 'Mrs' Blackbird, rightly annoyed at the lack of amorous attention from the object of her affection in the run up to her nuptial season. It's early evening, and she begins to make that very plain during a seriously loud domestic at the roost between herself and said gentleman. Sadly, and much to the consternation of other occupiers of the garden, it resumes the following morning with all the intensity of the previous evening. The Blackbirds' neighbours begin to complain with the Starlings heckling from the roof tops and the Greenfinches getting decidedly grumpy (but stoically continue munching sunflower seeds just to be on the safe side). The Bluetits however, particularly irritated by all the squabbling, decide to leave their morning feed until later in the day. However, Song Thrush, realising that he now can, takes the high ground both morally and literally, and proceeds to belt out his full Spring repertoire from the top of the birch tree. Shamed by the beauty of Song Thrush's Matins, the Blackbird couple to be, have settled their emotional differences and nuptial celebrations is definitely on the cards. By late afternoon, lady Blackbird gets down to some serious house hunting in the old Ivy bush, while her 'intended' gets back to what he really does best, cultivating the soil for worms. He does so now with all the quietude and dedication of a man that knows what he must now do to keep his female happy - stay out of Thrush fights and concentrate on becoming a family man!

[thebeard]

wow, well thats one blackbird well and truly under the thumb, i bet the thrush is laughing inside.

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Picidae

He does so now with all the quietude and dedication of a man that knows what he must now do to keep his female happy - stay out of Thrush fights and concentrate on becoming a family man!

Until tomorrow, then he'll be back harrassing the thrush again ... too much testosterone.

Reminds me of my urban blackbirds. A real soap opera .... Though mine had a mere marriage of convenience, there was no deep love, and separation after breeding until February, unlike the bluetits who seemed very faithful. And the male blackbird always had his eye out for the female in the next territory. Made no attempt to send her off if he thought his mate hadn't seen the intruder. If she did she'd go and give him a big peck, and he'd then very half-heartedly make a gesture of sending her off. And if the neighbours mate spotted his female going into alien teritory he'd be over very fast to round her up and send her back home.

My rural blackbirds have become quite tolerant of each other, for the moment .... 13 in the garden. No obvious engagements yet. All they seem to be thinking of is food .... I wonder if rural blackbirds are less territorial over the winter period, not having gardens and feeders in all their territories, so that they have to be more mobile and hence more tolerant finding food. I certainly noticed a difference between my rural and urban bluetits. The urban male was very territorial all year round, except briefly during moulting period. Whereas in the countryside they roam in large mixed gangs during the winter. Well, generally there aren't peanuts and sunflower seeds hanging from every other tree there (though they are appearing), so it makes more sense to cover bigger areas in a flock, for safety. And then those rural gangs converge on my rural feeders, en masse.

[Beekeeper]

Picidae,

With than eloquent post you really should consider writing a book, it would be a bestseller, lovely story which i really enjoyed reading.

Thank you.

Ian