17th June - Tickly Under There?

More rain again overnight and early in the morning.  At dawn now there are hardly any singing birds of note.  What can be heard is interestingly the same bird that is probably the one that is first to sing at the start of the year, a Song Thrush.  This individual has been heard singing early in the morning, and through the day and into the evening.  The song is delivered typically from a Silver Birch, the Thrush taking the highest point.  The thrush taking the opportunity to preen.

But after that into the song once again, it standing out now like it would in January due to the fact that no other birds are singing.

The birds were busy on the lawn this morning, with the first young Starlings appearing with their parents, begging to be fed.  The male Blackbird was also busy the the rain having softened the lawn once again.  As it searched the grass it would also take the time to chase off any other Blackbird that came close.

Despite the rain the feathers didn't look to bad this morning.

It had probably got wet this morning but had a rather novel way of drying out the feathers by sun bathing on the dry patio slabs that had been warmed up and dried out by the sun when it arrived.

It is interesting to follow the progress of this Blackbird, it look awful when its wet, but doesn't seem to be hindered and is doing so well.