I’m sure there’s a better term to describe the squiggly part of the beak closest to the corner of a mouth, but I call it baby beak. It’s what helps me discern whether something is a juvenile (Other than its colour or size) so it’s a term I shall use frequently in my blog.

Blackbirds nest in our back garden every year, so I took this opportunity (Yes, spring has sprung!) to take some snaps of the nest. I love the little bristly hair you can see on these chicks. I was very careful in my photographing of the babies so as not to startle or disturb them; they were very calm all throughout my snapping.

 

Four little bundles of fluff and chirping beaks waiting for their next meal.

Big brother watches over his siblings. There was one larger than the rest, as seen in this photo.

I had a new lens (200-500mm) on order and was hoping to set it up so I could photo them from afar, perhaps even from the conservatory, but they fledged before it arrived! In fact, they fledged in the morning and my lens arrived in the afternoon. Typical!

Over the next few days I’d notice one or two still lingering around. There was one in particular who wasn’t doing very well, but you could hear the chirping of its siblings in the next garden or two along. This one, however, remained close to home.

 

I took this one with the new lens, from the back door. It still couldn’t fly and had to leap up onto various garden implements to ascend higher up to safety. All the while one or both of the parents continued flying down to feed them.

Father waits for the opportunity to swoop down and feed his young ‘ens. I was a little sad to see them all leave, but hopefully next year I’ll be able to witness this all over again.

Stayed tuned for episode 10 where I’ll get more in-depth with the new lens!