Male Blackbird photo gallery

During a bright spell in February, a very tolerant female Eurasian Blackbird allowed me to take some photographs. I suspect that this was her first winter and she was so confiding because she didn't know any better. The photos can be seen at this link. 

I was lucky enough during March, to find a young male blackbird who was also very approachable and he fed busily, oblivious to the clicking camera just a few feet away.

The black feathers and bright orange bill and eye-ring show him to be a male. His freckles are an indication that he is a young bird. Probably hatched last summer. If you look carefully, you will notice that the primary wing feathers are still brown. He will lose the freckles and the brown wing feathers as summer approaches.

The more mature male blackbirds will be forming their territories soon for this year and they are unlikely to tolerate any young pretenders in the area. So the young male will be driven off to make his mark elsewhere.

To achieve a more interesting angle, I got down and laid out along the path, at the same level as the bird. However, it was quite the struggle to get back up again. I should have known, 'coz it was difficult to get down there in the first place.

A big "thank you"to the lady who stopped to see if I was alright.