General Chat

As it got light this morning, I noticed a female blackbird hunched on the grass outside. It had been pecking at some damp bread I put out for the hedgehog when I saw him/her late last evening, hedgie had tucked in but left a bit.

I tried to get a look at the bird but couldn't see what was wrong except it doesn't seem able to fly. Then two young blackbirds turned up and the injured bird started to feed them with the bread. I put out some more after they flew off and the injured one has scuttled under a shrub where I have put more moistened bread but I can't see her. It's overcast and drizzly outside today.

Male blackbird has been coming back and forth to the bread and taking some to the young ones, who did join him briefly and he fed them on the spot. Later on I will have a better look for the injured bird and see if I can get it in a box and call the wildlife place a few miles from here. Would hate to have her die in the garden through lack of attention but hope the young ones can thrive with Dad's help.

Lizx

Good for the Dad.

Why not ring the wildlife place first to see if they will come and get the blackbird themselves.

Good Luck.

That's what I plan to do Sue. I have seen Mum out again feeding the young ones, she filled her beak for the umpteenth time with the moist bread (it will get moister now as it's raining) and with the last beakful looked round for the young ones and they had flown off. She tried several times to fly but couldn't get lift off, her wings don't seem to flap hard enough. She is now under a planter in the garden, and I have put some food nearby. I will look out later and see where she is, but from past experience I would rather get her contained first before I phone rather than they come over and then we can't find her. They are only a small charity. It may be that she just needs some rest.

Lizx

We should contemplate the many things that we take for granted - a little human help along the way is great.

Well done Purple **^*Sparkly*^** Diamond.

We have an oyster catcher that nests on the roof of my workplace.
She has been nesting there every summer for about 5 years.
Last year, a fledgling fell to the ground but was unable to fly, so the RSPB came and cared for it.

About 2 weeks ago, the same thing happened, a fledgling was running about on the ground, unable to fly.
This time, my colleague caught the bird in a box, then climbed up onto the flat roof via a window and returned it to the nest.
It was during the week of really hot weather, so she also provided a container of water and placed it next to the nest.

Later that day, baby bird was spotted having a drink, and a bath in the cooling water

The bird survived it's ordeal !

All our feathered friends need a helping hand now and again.

Good on both of you for helping them.

Hope mum survives. The male (father) blackbird does often help to feed the young. Sometimes this is because Mum has gone off and is building another nest as they nest more than once. But obviously this is not the case here.

Funnily enough I also watched a male blackbird feeding a baby this morning and wondered where Mum bird was and if there were more babies around. I'm now hoping my female bird was busy with a new nest. Hope your Mrs Blackbird survives OK Liz

Morning all.

Later yesterday I searched for female blackbird and couldn't find her. I had to go out but when I came back o.h. was home and he had seen a female blackbird showing a young one what to do with a piece of grape I had put outside. She kept picking it up and putting it down so the young one did the same. Eventually mother bird picked up the morsel and ate it! O.h. said the young bird sat there looking bemused (well he didn't use that word, but I knew what he meant) Then mother bird did the same thing with another piece of grape and this time baby got the message and picked up a piece itself and ate it! Lesson over lol

He said he had seen the sluggish female tucked way under the hedge, he put down some bread and a dish of water and left her as he couldn't reach her.

This morning she is about again, and so is father and two babies (altho the babies look huge, as big as the parents) Father has been feeding them the grated cheese I put out and the female who isn't right picked some pieces for herself. She then managed to do what I thought I saw her do yesterday, flutter up and over the 5' fence into next door where there are two springer spaniels. There was no noise or commotion so dogs obviously still asleep in the conservatory (they have a dog flap) so I am hoping she will gain her strength and manage to carry on. If I do see her where I can get to her I will catch her and get someone to look at her, otherwise if she continues to keep flitting away, she will have to take her chances. At least I am making it easy with food provided and several water bowls around the garden.

Lizx

Well our bird with the problem is still about and as elusive as ever, especially now she seems to have gained the strength to fly. She is eating and drinking and seems to be improving in mobility so I hope she will be ok without further intervention and will be a happy blackbird.

Lizx

Well done you Try giving her some mashed fruit.

They like apples as I can vouch the amount that go missing on my tree

Yes the blackbirds in our garden wait till the food is put out for the tortoises and then mug them for the pears and banana!

I have a baby blackbird tweeting away on the terrace as I type. This is the second lot of babies this year I've never known them born so late before. There were two babies but one has disappeared I just hope it's okay. Judging from the development of the one that's still here I don't think it would have been able to fly away. No tail feathers yet and it just flaps about without any fear of danger. Mum hops about with the baby, feeding it and trying to encourage it to fly. They are both quite tame.

This morning I suddenly heard a lot of squawking and flurrying about. The baby had hopped into the living room, all the doors and windows were open. The mother bird had flown in to find her offspring. Mum got tangled up in the vertical blinds, curtains etc, baby went behind and under the furniture. Eventually I got the baby out and mum followed tweeting away at the baby. The mess they made in such a short space of time was unbelievable. Now how do I remove this bird 'stain' from a cream fabric lampshade!

Oh dear Wendy, that might be difficult. They do that when they panic, Baby blackbirds are out of the nest before they can fly, they then spend a few days being fed on the ground. We haven't had any in the garden this year, when we have before we have made a perch for them in a safeish place. They usually use it. At least you don't have many cats.

Our blackbirds love bananas, as I do, but sometimes they all go ripe at once and I can't eat each and every one so the birds get a share. They strip every bit of them from the skins and then I put the skins on the roses so nothing goes to waste. I even put out peach and nectarine stones and they pick them clean and some pineapple that was going a bit 'winey' was soon gone. (it was a tub of chopped fresh pineapple from the supermarket reduced to 20p but I hadn't eaten it all and it got pushed to the back of the fridge by a certain person who doesn't like it) We have about 5 young blackbirds now but they can all fly, just a bit lazy and keep asking Dad for food, he's letting them get on with it now tho.

Lizx

Wend, hope you can get the lampshade clean.

Well done Liz xx

The lampshade is almost clean with the help of the Spanish version of a Magic Eraser. Which I think are really good except for the fact that they disintegrate very quickly.

I haven't seen the blackbirds this morning yet, maybe the baby has learnt to fly now.

I never thought of feeding them bananas Liz. I'll put some out on the bird table today

Wendy

They love all fruits Wendy, I put out an avocado skin earlier and believe me, I don't leave a lot in it as I love them. Father Blackbird was there cleaning it out and picking the bits of some peach stones too


I have very healthy blackbirds lol

Lizx

ps. glad you got the shade clean, must get one of those erasers. Do you think it works on people lol?

I do give them avocados, which I buy specially for them, and they are gone in no time. The skin is actually very bad for them but they have flown in my kitchen, onto the fruit bowl and pecked the skin and spat it out all over the floor in order to get to the inside. I now keep them in the fridge. (The avocados not the birds!)

The baby and mum have disappeared so it must have managed to get off the ground at last.

:-D

Mine just get the last little bits of flesh from the half skins I put out but I didn't know the skins were bad for them, why is that Wendy?

Glad your pair are gone off safely

Lizx