A brood of blackbirds, nesting near the Green, fledged this morning. Unfortunately they did not hang around while I went to get a camera. Is this very early?
Blackbird Brood Fledged
Wednesday April 9, 2014 by Peter T
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March is quite normal for older birds. We had a youngster narrowly avoid Sam Spaniel’s jaws in the garden a few days ago 🙂
How delightful! Doubtless this warm Spring helped a bit.
From the RSPB:
“Breeding season from early March. The female incubates alone, and the chicks hatch 13-14 days later. Only the female broods the chicks, but both parents feed them. Chicks in gardens are fed on earthworms when they are available; woodland chicks are fed mainly on caterpillars.
The chicks are ready to fledge at 13-14 days, but if the nest is disturbed, they can leave and survive as early as nine days old. This ability to fledge early is an important anti-predator adaptation. The young birds creep and flutter from the nest, and remain in nearby cover for the following few days.
They are flightless at first, but within a week will have learned to fly”.
I’m eagerly waiting to see our first swallow (or martin) – always an absolute delight! Last year the first (lone) swallow I spotted was on April 14th up at Alsop.
Apparently a swallow was spotted yesterday in Tissington.
What time was it Peter?.
Around 9am that I saw them out of the nest, but they may have actually left the nest earlier.
I’ve been digging over my veg plot over the past few weeks, occasionnally throwing a worm to an eagerly waiting, male blackbird. No doubt NOT the same as Peter’s @ the Green… I get the impression that the blackbird actually starts chirping loudly when I start digging as if to say ‘I’m here and waiting, chop chop, get on with it!’.