It's been a busy time for myself and the birds around here. There are a number of nesting families very close by and I am watching their progress from my desk.
There's a nest of Blue Tits just above the window, a pair of Great Tits under the granite bird bath, and a number of Blackbirds living in the willows. Out of the corner of my eye I catch them swooping back and forth; without really studying them, I know everything about their movements.
One flight path takes the Blackbirds perilously close to the window pane as they angle in to round the corner of the house. Sadly a Hen Blackbird went head first into the window this morning and landed in the gravel below.
When I placed her little warm body on the paper, her wounds were obvious and there was a tiny droplet of blood coming from her spectacular beak. I studied her in detail, her feathers, structure and colour. The hens are brown, and are the most beautiful mother shaped birds.
These are the facts; we are born, we live and then sooner or later, one day, we meet our end. I'm watching the other Blackbirds now to identify her mate. One sat for ages just above the spot, singing in the rain and grooming ferociously. I'm not sure if they grieve? I'm not sure about anything much when it comes to these mysteries.....
The Hen Blackbird album is here
