Back to black

On my way home from work I stopped off  to see how the Blackbird nest was doing that I mentioned in my last post. I was hardly dressed for the occasion but I thought I would give it a go. I managed to make my way down the bank and along the edge of the river to the nest without ruining my shoes so that was a good start. To my delight the Blackbird nest was still there and contained 4 healthy young; this was despite some recent heavy rain that could have caused a further bank collapse.

The young Blackbirds were the ideal size for ringing with their primary feathers just emerging from their sheaths. Based on the initial assessment they are now 7 days old but they won't fledge for another 7 days. It is a fairly exposed nest so they have done well to get to this stage. I will try and check on the nest again to see if they fledge successfully.

 

Feed me now.

During the visit a duck and drake Mandarin flew down the river which was nice to see. I haven't seen them on this stretch for a while so it is good to know they are still around.