European Gardening: BIRDS IN THE GARDEN, 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
Hi Pat, your blackbirds all look to be waiting for something from within those bushes, or they don't like their photo being taken!

I had thought these thrushes looked a little different, but I do have the Song thrush singing it's head off. I have noticed a different song which I couldn't quite pick, you know when you say 'what is that, it sounds like a blackbird but I first thought it was a thrush, but didn't sound right. Mistle thrushes apparently do sing a little like a blackbird according to what I have read, and the marks are more typical of a Mistle Thrush, i.e. round, but on this one the round spots look to join up to make circles! They also fiercely defend their berry bushes, I now wonder if that is what ate half of my blackcurrant crop last year! Blackbirds usually get some, but not that many. The bush is really sprawling and the branches lay on the ground with the weight, I will have to try to cover it, need some old net curtain. I'll feel guilty if I do, but oh heck I love blackcurrant jam! There is a very large hawthorn across the road, they like to nest in those and eat the fruits. They eat slugs too, no mention of snails, I've seen a few snail shells lately so maybe between them I should let them take what they want! You need to encourage Mistle thrushes with your slug population!

I cropped the pic down but it was already cropped a little, so pixels may break up.