The blackbird will always hold a special place in my heart as, when we first bought our house, before beginning our journey from a patch of grass with a clematis and two small bay trees to a small wildlife garden, we were woken after our first night here, by a blackbird singing from above our bedroom window. When I hear their melodious songs, whether morning or evening, on our roof or on the roof of a surrounding house, it always reminds me and makes me smile.
This particular female blackbird has begun taking regular baths, between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm, each evening in the bird bath on our patio, sending showers of droplets everywhere. She flies to the fence, perches and preens, fanning out her tail feathers, drying off, before moving on. (Unfortunately, this photo had to be taken through the patio doors as I didn't want to disturb her.)
At this time of year, we usually get a couple of blackbirds regularly visiting the garden. This year, I think we have two different females (one seems more bossy than the other) and one male, but in winter we have had up to five in the garden at one time, feasting on the crab apples, sunflower hearts and 'fat cakes'. I can only assume some of these individuals must be winter migrants, escaping the colder climes back home in Scandinavia, as once spring arrives, the numbers visiting the garden always decrease.
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