He is not a popular visitor for most soft fruit growers.
As always the debt of gratitude I owe to my only photographic models outweighs the loss of any blackcurrants or strawberries that may have taken place during this shoot.
I adore working with him, and surely he knows it.
Sometimes he just lands on this rock to show off his good side. Mostly he is swooping across the wild garden or rustling around deep in the fruit bushes. Today he is demolishing strawberries and courting a young one.
Like any old friend, I study him. The lens gets me closer. My every move has to be frozen and quiet. His alertness is a little off kilter today as the object of his desire makes a brief appearance. She is a very young hen blackbird, a lovely speckled brown in colour.
His one effort at romance is rebuked and she disappears. The Blackbird continues on his well worn flight path across the garden and the dish of the day, strawberries, takes his attention once more.
Just catching up with all the delights here, your images in the last few posts are as beguiling as always :o)
Thank you Annie, lovely to hear from you. Our exciting lives eh? I am now greeting blackbirds as old friends!!
Love this story! Beautiful as always, and as always, your words paint a picture in my head.
That is very kind of you and I'm delighted that you actually enjoy the weird and wonderful things that I get up to without ever going anywhere!!
Love how you've captured moments here that so many wouldn't even give the time of day…or notice. Wonderful!
Ah thanks for noticing, some days he feels like an old friend for sure……
He is a handsome bird and a great model, worthy of a few strawberries indeed!
Jane he is one of my all time favourite models. I'm looking out for some human ones that might be even half as obliging!
Such a lovely photos! Love! I really love taking photos, but I need atch those friends here… Portugues birds are shy, I guess xD
ahahahah Hope to see you on my blog,
xx, http://neverforgottenmercury.blogspot.pt/
Thank you Edna, our birds are shy too, that's why I have to stay so very still. Yes I will pop over to your blog:~)
Aw, very cute! A very dapper suitor!
Indie that's a lovely word dapper and doesn't it suit him down to the ground!!
such a treat to see these gifts of nature…lovely photos!
Thank you Kerry, it's such a precious time in the wild garden right now…..hope you are enjoying the summer too:~)
Oh, how fun to get to "follow" him on his journey. Photographing birds must be quite an art with how skittish they can be! Lovely work!
Yes Mary Anne, skittish is a very good word fro them…..believe me I often end up with a streaky blur!!
He is a handsome blackbird to study, work with and allow your strawberries to be pilfered or maybe shared? And so special to be a resident for so long….too bad he was rebuked by the young hen