A male blackbird got to know me extremely well through the winter. He would come right up to me when I went out to put supplementary food on the ground in the harshest weather. He wanted first dibs at the food, picking out his favourite bits – dried mealworms and suet pellets – and
leaving the seeds for lesser mortals such as sparrows. He’s still very comfortable in my presence.
Now he and his wife have considerately made a nest right outside our living room window, in ivy under the porch roof overhang. It’s an excellent choice for protection both from the elements and from predators, and very viewable. Now she’s sitting on eggs, and the male is coming and going with food for her and singing throughout the day to keep his territory .
I’m head over heels in love with this bird. It’s one of those very special connexions that can occasionally happen when time stands still and there is absolutely
no barrier between yourself and a wild creature.
