How does Britain have so many Blackbirds?

[bitsnpieces]

When they are quite clearly thick as little chicklets!

Puz's old stable is somewhat of a hotel for nesting birds, we have Blackbirds on the left and Swallows on the right.

The Blackbirds first lot of chicks all ended up in the water bucket one night, they seem to try to leave the nest too early and just end up flumping around on the floor. I was really gutted and felt so sorry for Mr BB who kept bringing grubs to the empty nest so when I saw Mrs BB nesting a few weeks later I was really quite chuffed.

The babies have hatched and are now, once again trying to leave the nest too early. I went in there to find one stuck on the central beam and one stuck on the floor, the one on the floor was really getting itself in a pickle so I plonked it on a ledge (I know you aren't supposed to touch them, but he was going to get squished). I made sure Inca (who now lives in the stable) had plenty to drink through the evening and at about 11pm, I changed her bucket and made sure it was only shallow.

Got there this morning and one of the babies had still managed to drown!!! He could have stood up in it with no problem at all, so I really am amazed that we have so many BBs in Britain as we've lost four as babies in about 8 weeks.

Meanwhile the swallows have managed to raise one family successfully and are currently cooking their second.

 

[Trewsers]

Aw poor black birds. I haven't any nesting - but plenty of swallows. They generally raise two broods - and come right back to the same nests every year - 6 summers we've had them now!
They're in our out-house, but the little blighters have plopped on my spare rugs (had a rug rack put up in there when we first moved in)!!!!!

 

[LauraGeeGee]

Aww. Unfortunately black birds do leave the nest before they can actually fly.

They will usually spread out in low undergrowth, this is why so many are got at by cats and other predators.

The parents will carry on feeding them after they have left the nest as they are not yet able to fend for themselves.

You will often hear the adults doing their distress call a lot at this time of the year. Usually because there is a cat prowling about and the babies are trying to stay hidden.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/blackbird/nesting.aspx

People will often pick up a baby blackbird as they assume it's fallen from a nest somewhere!