How many of you have been desperate to get the nursery ready in time? You know, decorate, buy a cot, get clothes and nappies in neat piles at an arm's length, make sure the blinds work ..., there's no end to it.
Well, this female blackbird is doing all that at the moment; perhaps not clothes and nappies, and the blinds, mm... that's the leaves on the shrub I suppose. And all this while the male blackbird is sitting on high branches at a comfortable distance, making sure she does it all.
This female blackbird worked really hard today, so hard that she had to break for some food and drink, and also have a cooling bath in a pot (I have put out recently for the birds). At regular intervals she came flying in very fast with her bill full of grass, by the sheaf-full. Then I could see the leaves and branches of the shrub move as she added the latest load to the nest. And then off again!
Since I had my camera mounted on a tripod to get the best possible pictures of her entering and leaving the nest, I never got a picture of her feeding on the ground or drinking out of and taking a splash-bath in this pot that used to hold an outdoor candle.
It was absolutely fascinating to observe her labouring, and the lazy husband supervising it all. But that's nature I suppose. (No human comparison intended!)
Spring is definitely on its way. We actually had 18 degrees C in the afternoon. Will it last I wonder?
Have a beautiful weekend!
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4 comments:
Oh, how lovely!!!!
Aren't they fascinating? I love to watch birds. They truly are so enjoyable to observe.
Beautiful shots.;) I too have a cherry laurel in my front yard, I love these evergreens.;)
Yes, birds are getting busy, here it has gotten warmer too. But nowhere 18C.;)
Enjoy your first spring weekend,
xoxo
Zuzana
Oreneta - Well, you ought to know, with your new house and all that needs doing! ;-)
Expats Again - Very fascinating, but also very time consuming. It took many visits to the camera on its tripod, trying to time her return to the nest with the building material, to get these shots! Not everybody has got my patience! ;-)
Protege - Thank you. Now I know what the shrub is called! I have seen blackbirds in the past eating those cherries. They look rather big for them, and you can see how they are working hard to swallow them.
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