Blackbird

Above: Blackbird (male).
Below: Blackbird (female).

Well as I intend to make this field guide a comprehensive guide to the birds of the north west I had to include the humble blackbird sooner or later. In a way it's almost a shame that they are so common and often overlooked because they are not only lovely birds but are also fascinating to watch. Their territorial posturing can be most amusing and their tameness is probably only exceeded by that of the equally well known robin. Having said that they can sometimes be unexpectedly, easily startled and fly off making their loud clacking alarm call.

If you have not noticed (where have you been?) they are resident birds with a varied diet. Feeding on insects, worms, berries, apples and other fruit as well as anything edible that you care to leave out for them.

The male is a handsome, even black all over except for the vivid yellow beak and eye-ring. The female is dark brown but often has a speckled breast reminiscent of the other common members of the thrush family. She lacks the bright beak and eye-ring as does the darker, almost black juvenile male. 

I don't expect you'll need my advice on where to find them as they are probably one of the most common birds in your garden and even if you don't have a garden you could probably think of a dozen or more places to go to see these birds close up, such as your local park.

When it comes to photography, I actually prefer Risley Moss in Cheshire for photographing blackbirds. There are a number of natural perches here that the blackbirds like to use and that I think makes for a more attractive picture of them, especially if the background is far enough away and the depth of field sufficiently low to blur it a little, as in the top shot.

Still they aren't the easiest birds to photograph if they are in a dark shaded area as you can tend to get over exposure and make them look a washed out grey or the black can take on a blue sheen in your pictures. Correct exposure will stop this and as they are easy to find, and often so tame, they make a good black bird (no pun intended) to practice your photography on.