We seem to have entered a period, if not of confusion, of change and disruption because some of the birds look to be between broods. The adult blackbird is collecting seed and fat and is disappearing behind the snow-in-summer to feed something which is parked in a safe location, whilst at the same time it is trying to drive away a young bird which now knows how to feed itself but is coming to the places that its parents have introduced it to.
There were also a few birds who were just trying out feeding themselves. I saw a young sparrow who picked up a chunk of peanut, but was unsure what to do with it. It went up to the top of the steps, dropped the nut, went to peck at it and had it stolen by a jackdaw.
The site of maximum confusion was the three-quarter coconut. I’d put a handful of the seed mix and some mealworms and it became the focus of a confused collection of starlings. There were two birds with adult plumage and three fledglings. The fledglings were fairly capable – one in particular had mastered how to grasp and balance on the edge of the coconut and was leaning down to reach the seed when the adult hustled it aside, not without a struggle and complaint by the youngster, whereupon it collected some seed and fed the same fledgling. The adult then fed another fledgling, but found itself being pecked violently on the head by the second adult, which took over the space, collected more food and fed the first fledgling again…which was still trying to muscle its way back to the coconut.
thekitchensinkbirdwatcher 