Wild West Yorkshire nature diary
dunnockblackcap

A Bird in the Bush

Thursday 25th May 2000
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'White-tail'
A FEMALE BLACKBIRD is building a nest in the Hawthorn hedge where 'White-tail' and his mate nested last year. She collects beakfuls of dried grass fromfemale blackbird around the pond.

This year, although White-tail's territory includes our garden, he has been taking food to a nest in a large evergreen bush next door.


dunnockdunnockdunnock

The Dunnocks are feeding their brood in the nest in the honeysuckle on the garden shed. One of the adults flies away with a white faecal sac in its beak and takes it away over the hedge for disposal.

whitethroatblackcap A bird sings, like a hurried version of a blackbird, from a Hawthorn bush at the edge of the wood. In its variety it reminds us of a Nightingale. A frantic, upbeat nightingale. It's not a Whitethroat; they have scratchy rattly songs. Although we don't catch sight of it, we're pretty sure that it is a Blackcap. The bird book warns that the Garden Warbler can sound similar, but describes its song as more relaxed, less abrupt, than the blackcap.

Richard Bell
Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail; 'richard@daelnet.co.uk'

  
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