Looking for trouble? You've found it!
Just look at the photograph top right. By far the most aggressive bird in most gardens will be blackbird. In our garden they spend most of the day trying to protect their food supply from the others and they must use enormous amounts of energy shadowing their opponent, staying between it and their food, having the occasional flutter at each other. They chase round and round the garden, under shrubs and out again, up into the trees and down again, into the water dish and out again, all energy, all action packed. Being ground feeders they eat almost anything thrown on the ground but prefer fruit to seed. RSPB 'fruity nibbles' seem to be a great favourite.
The male is unmistakable being jet black, much smaller than other birds with totally black plumage. It has a distinctive yellow beak but in winter you may see some with duller beaks, these are usually over wintering birds from colder parts of Europe which boost numbers considerably in cold spells. The female is speckled brown and does not have the yellow beak (top right photograph).
In spring the males like to sit on TV aerials in the evening and have a hearty sing in competition with their neighbours. This often happens when females are sat on eggs; it is part warning to neighbours to stay away but also reassurance to the female that he is close by and keeping watch.
Blackbirds are currently number 5 in the RSPB Garden Bird Count top ten.
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