This female blackbird is getting ready for another taste of our grapes. She's perching on one of our chairs in our outdoor room (aka le petit enclos de Jinks). In the corner of the fence is a small spider's web.
I've already mentioned that we picked a good quantity of the grapes, just leaving some for the blackbirds (there's also a young male who comes). I wish we'd left them all as I ate a bunch and had a bad stomach the next day and Ray made grape juice with the rest which oxidised so fast in the fridge and became undrinkable. I don't think we'll ever get into wine making!
A small and belated September update for 2024, where I am still, after many years' membership, on 365 Project, also now posting elsewhere but wanting...
No Hazel, the solution is much plainer than that ... you're just not very good at training birds. (Neither am I as a matter of fact, whichever two-legged variety that might imply!)
I do have quite quick 'shutter-finger'! But these blackbirds are soooo fast. Now that Jinks is safe in his little enclosure and would not get the bits the birds drop, we are going to get a feeder in the garden, so that might be the answer! (I might have to get Ray to build a hide of course....)
A lovely shot of the perched Blackbird they do love grapes I throw out old ones for them and they are soon devoured. Hope you succeed with your quest for an action shot.
I adore blackbirds we have one in our garden called spot, but he could well be the seventh generation as we have called him spot for years now. like the rain on the seat and your hydrangea is fairly better than ours
Beautiful shot, how nice of him to pose so well for you. I am on a bit of catch up tonight, been out of action while my daughter and grandchildren were here. I may not get chance to comment on all the pictures I have missed, but I will look at them.
Lovely capture, maybe she will get a stomach ache as well?? Our cherry tree used to be striped bare of the cherries it bore by a load of blackbirds, before we ever got the chance to pick them. They used to love them and I used to leave the ones I couldn't reach for them and pick the ones I could but some years they beat me too them!
Lovely shot - Fav We don't seem to have any blackbirds around in our garden at the moment although we have got some grapes. I think they must come when I'm not here
Wonderful capture with the detail in the feathers and the water drops. Interesting in that your blackbirds are really black. I had pictured something like a shiny black crow when I heard the nursery rhyme. As for the grapes, think jelly!
An adult blackbird would be more black than this juvenile female. Females always keep a brownish hue. I was going to make grape jelly - but then, in truth, I could not really be bothered! (I am not as homespun as I used to be!!!)
Perhaps I need another new camera?!!
I do have quite quick 'shutter-finger'! But these blackbirds are soooo fast. Now that Jinks is safe in his little enclosure and would not get the bits the birds drop, we are going to get a feeder in the garden, so that might be the answer! (I might have to get Ray to build a hide of course....)
An adult blackbird would be more black than this juvenile female. Females always keep a brownish hue. I was going to make grape jelly - but then, in truth, I could not really be bothered! (I am not as homespun as I used to be!!!)
Well now do they like a particular variety?!!