blackbird 'playing' with pebbles ?

[witham]

either side at the front of the summer house we have large pots filled with sand, in each is an artificial standard box ball covered with solar lights, the sand is topped with smooth pebbles, today I kept hearing a clattering noise and when I went to investigate a female blackbird was lifting some of the pebbles up in her beak and dropping them on the wooden decking, she was at both pots and took quite a lot of them off, does she want to go to specsavers perhaps thinking they were snails and trying to break the shell or was she just being mischevious if birds can in fact be playfull, it was definitely a blackbird and not a thrush

[sunnydale]

Hi witham

Perhaps she was looking for insects? Blackbirds are known for chucking stuff all over the place, just to get to food that's covered up by something.

Just my theory though

Tracey

[Pipa]

that must have been cute to watch

the blackbirds we get often dig up small pebbles and stones but usually with their feet to get little bugs from underneath, i've never seen them pick pebbles up in their beak and chuck them out the pot they do dig alot though, they scatter our gravel all over the place

[witham]

thanks, in fairness she was using her feet as well so perhaps bug hunting although I didn't see any in the sand

[ellen h]

Our lawn is scattered with pebbles and lumps of earth that the blackbirds throw from the garden when they are looking for insects ,worms etc.I did start to pick up the pebbles and put back in the borders but I have given up now lol!!!

[witham]

I shall have to direct her to a place in the garden where we want some gravel moving so the grandkids can do a full circuit on their bikes

[solus]

"Mine" merrily dig out compost from pots to search for bugs - whether or not that compost is covered by a gravel or pebbly mulch! They also dig out the Sempervivums and leave them scattered all over the patio which is less endearing. The latest trick is jumping up and down like they're on little trampolines to reach the half-ripe strawberries dangling down from the container..... I wouldn't mind, but there are plenty of sultanas, mealworms, seed and assorted fat products supplied daily just for the birds! Do I eat them? No. So are a few strawberries just for me too much to ask?? OK, I know the answer!!

[Pipa]

Originally Posted by solus

"Mine" merrily dig out compost from pots to search for bugs - whether or not that compost is covered by a gravel or pebbly mulch! They also dig out the Sempervivums and leave them scattered all over the patio which is less endearing. The latest trick is jumping up and down like they're on little trampolines to reach the half-ripe strawberries dangling down from the container..... I wouldn't mind, but there are plenty of sultanas, mealworms, seed and assorted fat products supplied daily just for the birds! Do I eat them? No. So are a few strawberries just for me too much to ask?? OK, I know the answer!!

haha blackbirds are wonderful to watch, they are very comical sometimes and do such cute things

[witham]

the blackbirds that come into our veg garden have nicked most of the gooseberries before I had a chance to net them and we didn't have many to start with so today we have been making a fruit cage over the raspberries and blue berries before the little dears and their mates the sparrows anniolate them as well, the strawberries are a bit more difficult to cover as a toad lives amongst the rows and likes to come and go as it pleases so when we pick them most have little peck marks in them as if they must try them all before choosing the most tastiest unless the toad likes a nibble as well