Perfect house for birds

NATURAL WORLD

This young blackbird was photographed in our glasshouse. How it came to be there is an interesting story. There were four young blackbirds in a nest that could easily be observed.

In the process of a photo being taken, the mother bird gave a call and the four young immediately jumped from the nest and fell to the ground. They were much too young to fly, but could run well, although they could easily have been caught by a stalking cat.

Thankfully, three of them ran straight into the glasshouse, where they were safe in the meantime.

I made several perches and provided water. I also opened a window that I thought was higher than a cat could reach.

Within an hour, they were calling for their parents, who soon appeared and were puzzled as to how they could hear the young but not get to them. They spent a long time peering through the glass.

By morning, the male bird had found the open window and was coming in and out with food for the youngsters. Soon both parents were returning every 10 minutes or so with food. Mostly they brought metres of worms, but in the morning after our neighbours put out bread on their lawn, they would come with beak-loads of bread that the young eagerly devoured.

Within a week, the young were flying about in the glasshouse and the parents were coming to the window with food, then flying away without feeding. The plan worked and one morning the glasshouse was empty. I believe that blackbirds return to the same locality each year. The ring on this young bird will help me check out the theory.