Bullfinch

[Guizmeaux]

Every once in a while, someone or something comes into your life and gives you heart a little lift. After crashing into a bedroom window followed by a near miss on the ground with Jack (my cat), this little fella spent an hour sitting in my hand before dusting himself off and flying away out the window. They don't often live because of broken bones or shock, but it seems that this little bull lived up to his name...



And just before he flew off;

[Sarahfeena]

Those are awesome pics! What a sweet little guy.

[Guizmeaux]

Gorgeous, isn't he?

For the last half hour he was quite alert, just not ready to fly. He let me check him over for broken bits, but he cocked his head at me while I was doing it.

And just before he flew off, he sang. I've never had a bird sit in my hand and sing before. It was, um, quite moving.

[troubleagain]

Oh, he's so colorful! Very pretty.

[Fink-Nottle]

That is just so cool! Birds actually kind of freak me out (I know I'm lame), but that story made my day better. I'm glad he was okay. :smile:

[Exy]

Hahaha, that is so awesome! Great pics!

[Guizmeaux]

I didn't mention this before, but bullfinches tend to keep their partners once they've mated. While Mr. Bullfinch was in my hand, his missus was outside, shouting her head off.

Today, both were back my garden. It was good to see them.

[Sarahfeena]

Sounds like you have a friend for life.

[Guizmeaux]

Sounds like you have a friend for life.

I suppose that like most birds he's probably quite stoofid and either won't remember or care that I looked after him. He and his mate are probably in my garden for the same reason that my robins are - territory and food.

But it doesn't matter. It felt good to do something nice when there was not only no expectation of it being reciprocated, but no possibility of it, either.

[Guizmeaux]

Oh dear. I had the opportunity to be a bird nurse again today. Happily, the patient - a female blackbird - was just as resilient as the bullfinch. I didn't get a picture of her in my hand, but I did get one just after she hopped from it to my pergola.

She sang, chirped a warning, pooed all over the place then took off;



Blue skies, sweetheart. Fly safely!

[Zuul]

Wow, are you sure you're not Snow White?

You must keep your windows far too clean for their safety.

[Guizmeaux]

There's an avenue of trees (which doesn't belong to me) which runs along the side of my house at the northern perimeter. The birds see the reflection of this in the windows, so think it's safe passage...

The trees been chopped back as far as they can be, but it doesn't seem to help. The only alternative seems to be to discourage birds from the area with a hawk decal/model, but since it was their orchard long before it was mine, that seems unfair. Not really sure what to do about it all really, other than look after them.

::EDIT:: Grammar, spelling, etc.

[Laughing Lagomorph]

Oh dear. I had the opportunity to be a bird nurse again today. Happily, the patient - a female blackbird - was just as resilient as the bullfinch. I didn't get a picture of her in my hand, but I did get one just after she hopped from it to my pergola.

She sang, chirped a warning, pooed all over the place then took off;



Blue skies, sweetheart. Fly safely!

Wow. You guys sure have some funny looking blackbirds.

Laughing Lagomorph, bird enthusiast.

[Guizmeaux]

Wow. You guys sure have some funny looking blackbirds.

Laughing Lagomorph, bird enthusiast.

I can't tell whether you're joking, being serious, or whether you're telling me I'm wrong and being sarcastic about it. I hope it's one of the former and not the latter. However, that is most definitely a female blackbird (Terdus Merula).

Here's a picture.

[Laughing Lagomorph]

Wow. You guys sure have some funny looking blackbirds.

Laughing Lagomorph, bird enthusiast.

I can't tell whether you're joking, being serious, or whether you're telling me I'm wrong and being sarcastic about it. I hope it's one of the former and not the latter. However, that is most definitely a female blackbird (Terdus Merula).

Here's a picture.

Although I've gone birding on three continents Europe isn't one of them so I'm not at all familiar with the birds of the UK. Just remarking on the fact that what is called a blackbird there doesn't look like the blackbirds we have here. Biological diversity and all that. Also the English-speaking people who came to North America often misidentified the birds they saw here, many times giving them the names of birds they already knew from the Old World.

[Laughing Lagomorph]

... Also the English-speaking people who came to North America often misidentified the birds they saw here, many times giving them the names of birds they already knew from the Old World.

After a little bit of research it turns out we have a good case in point here. Your blackbird (Turdus merula) is actually a type of thrush and therefore related to the bird we call a robin (Turdus migratorius) which is NOT closely related to the bird known in the UK as a robin, Erithacus rubecula, which isn't even a thrush but a type of flycatcher.

Most birds in the US called blackbirds are from the Genus Agelaius: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agelaius

The early settlers didn't know their taxonomy. Don't even get me started on the diurnal raptors.

Laughing Lagomorph, Taxonomy Buff.

[Guizmeaux]

Understood, sir. I was about to ask you to come here and ask the male blackbirds to stop having sex with these brown things.

Turdus Merula is indeed a thrush and is ubiquitous in the UK. The males are midnight black with shocking yellow beaks/eyes, but the females are mottled brown yet - as I can attest - very pretty close-up.

And Lord help you if you described a blackbird as a robin here. Our robins are wren-sized and very friendly, ("Ooh - can I play with your vacuum cleaner?" <Thub!>)

In fact, the species variance just in Europe is quite extraordinary. Even where we're talking about the same species in taxonomy, there are variances in behaviour and breeding across different countries. I have no idea how they manage it.

[Zabigail]

Oh dear. I had the opportunity to be a bird nurse again today. Happily, the patient - a female blackbird - was just as resilient as the bullfinch. I didn't get a picture of her in my hand, but I did get one just after she hopped from it to my pergola.

She sang, chirped a warning, pooed all over the place then took off;



Blue skies, sweetheart. Fly safely!

Is that a blackbird, or a starling? ETA: Nevermind. Teach me to post before I see the second page, won't it?