June 2011 part 4

6th Awoke to hear the beautiful dawn chorus this morning with the Blackbird playing a pivotal role as usual.
"Just listen to the blackbird - what a note the creature has! God bless his happy throat.  T.E. Brown
A beautiful sunny day had begun. A juvenile goldfinch visits the garden and a squirrel, after the peanuts.
10th 4 fledgling blackbirds in the garden today with both parents feeding them. A gang of starlings, 2 sparrows, 2 coletits, 4 young bluetits and a fledgling dunnock all add to the commotion.

The female incubates 3-5 eggs for about 14 days.  On leaving the nest the brood is split between the 2 adults. The male feeding them longer as the female will need to start another brood. They may have 3 in a season.

 Dunnock fledgling (Prunella modularis) Pairing in Dunnocks is unusual- some pairs are male and female, some males have 2 females and in some cases some males share females. The females incubate 4-5 eggs for 15 days. The young are cared for by both sexes and are fed for a further 17 days. There can be 3 broods.