As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday, 8 June 2018

Single pair of blackbirds builds ten nests along ladder in Cumbria


25th May

Up and down the country birds have been racing to find a mate and get on the property ladder ahead of the breeding season. And as a couple of RSPB members found in their back garden, one busy pair of blackbirds have taken it a step further with a real life game of ‘birds and ladders’.

As Bill and Jo Maddams were giving their garden in Penrith, Cumbria, a spring clean they noticed something unusual between the rungs of a ladder hanging on the wall. They say practice makes perfect but one pair of hard-working blackbirds took it to a new level by building 10 nests side by side giving themselves plenty of options.

Bill Maddams, who first spotted the nests, said: “By leaving out a supply of food and water in our garden we’re always joined by a variety of different birds such a robins, blue tits and goldfinches. However, as I looked out my window one morning it was a busy pair of blackbird that caught my eye. Over a number of days they were furiously building something and it wasn’t until we started our garden spring clean that the true extent of their efforts was revealed.”



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