Blackbird(s) In Spring

Territorials, foragers, great singers, puffed in wintertime (due to cold air), with shiny black feathers (males) after they pass their young phase... I could go on and on, describing Turdus Merulas and I would still feel that I haven't done them any justice.

To say that I'm obsessed with blackbirds it would be an understatement - well I'm not obsessed on the level that I have my walls covered with photos of them (not yet!); let's just say I communicate with them whenever I get the chance: Thock thock!

They fascinate me so much that every time I notice them foraging on the ground, flying around, making timid sounds from different "hidden" tall bushes/ high grass or (especially) when I hear them making alarm calls and learning how to sing/ see them/ hear them singing, I feel so happy (just like the way I felt the first time I saw/ heard them). So, it's a challenge for me not to jump for joy and I simply have to stay still in order not to scare them away.

For me, personally, it's been quite the honour to be able to observe local blackbirds in their natural habitat and to detail with photos the way they behave around small ponds [formed after some days of almost non-stop raining (starting with May 11th 2021 if I recall it well)].

It was a late afternoon during the spring of 2021, 4:50 PM and I was (coincidentally or not) [at home], on the balcony, when all of a sudden I've noticed a baby blackbird in the not-yet-ready (common) garden; I grabbed my camera as fast as I could and started taking photos.

Probably this fledgling, freshly out of the nest, 13-14 days old (or older),

was learning to fly around, or to forage for food by itself and while checking the area close to the nest, found this puddle by accident:

On a closer look it can easily be noticed that this one in particular has not yet fully formed feathers. Instead, it has tiny white plumage here and there, speckled breast, small pointy yellowish beak, barely visible eye-ring. All of these traits, as well as its fluffy appearance, concludes that this tiny blackbird is still a baby.

So maybe out of curiosity it decided that the water was to inviting not to take a quick dip; to be very precise, it only took 6.9 milliseconds to step into the pond:

Not sure if it was just surveying the area, while also being cautious - since around this area there are quite a few farm cats (or normal pet cats) who just hang out a lot, observing usually the blackbirds and the magpies - or it was simply waiting for the parents to join.

Then, all of a sudden, started scratching; if I didn't know it was a baby blackbird from the start, I would've definitely not have been able to tell it apart from other baby birds.

4.5 milliseconds later and bath time was in full mode:

Wiggling its tail, diving with its head underwater, raising its wings up and down... It was a pure joy to watch this tiny in its full splendour!

Eight days later, same spot: different blackbird!

I've noticed this one a bit earlier than the other, at 4PM.

I could easily tell that it is a young male blackbird: with a dark brown folded wing, contrasting with the fully grown glossy - almost - black body plumage, yellow eye-ring, orange-yellow beak, blackish-brown legs.

From my observations this one seemed to knew the secrets of taking a bath - maybe he was the Pond Whisperer! - showing all the way quite some skills at diving with its head underwater, folding and unfolding its wings, all the while stretching and bending its head up and down, left and right. Left me the impression that it had some experience when it comes to bathing in puddles.

When I looked closer, I saw that the right wing had a tiny grey feather which stood astray from the entire plumage:

The entire process of bathing took one minute.

Then it was time to chill for a couple of milliseconds, only to jump again immediately in the water. It simply couldn't stay away:

58 minutes later I was again on the balcony and I've noticed that it was back, surveying the puddles or maybe just foraging for fresh earthworms:

Two days later, around noon, another blackbird came in the same area. It might've just as well been exactly the same one as two days earlier; but since I did not noticed any grey feather on the right wing, I was pretty sure it was a new one.

The older male blackbirds are more confident around water and don't seem to be scared or threatened by other animals or birds who might be nearby. Emphasis on "don't seem", since they change behaviour pretty quick and nature is not to be underestimated!

It looked pretty comfortable, unafraid and ready to bathe like there's no tomorrow:

Didn't had time to take more photos at that moment so I am not sure if it spent much more minutes in the water or went on foraging, walking around or simply flew right away.

Later that day, towards the evening, after 6:30 PM, in the exact same area, a female blackbird made her appearance:

Full brownish plumage with speckled breast, a light orange beak, a yellowish thin eye-ring indicated that it was a female:

Its posture denoted that she was also pretty confident with the surroundings and looked experienced around the ponds: cooling down and simply enjoying a bath.

Almost two hours later the one and only T. Merula with a grey wing, from two days earlier, it was back in the area, foraging:

Last two blackbirds in these series, were spotted 13 days after the first one. A shiny male blackbird, perched on a tiny hill:

and a female blackbird, almost hidden under the parking pavement:

It ain't over 'till the shiny (male) blackbird prepares to forage attentive, turned slightly with its thinly legs and raised tail:

This was just a tiny insight into the daily activities of a couple of Turdus Merula specimens, as observed from my balcony, during some late spring days.

Bibliography [for appearance description]: Common blackbird page on wikipedia.

Where: Landkreis Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm (district Pfaffenhofen on the Ilm, Upper Bavaria);

When: May 16th - May 29th, 2021;

With: Nikon D3300 (70-300mm f/4-5.6G; 300mm - ISO 400-4000; 1/250s-1/4000s- f5.6-6.3; 0EV).