daddy cool

Our native blackbird is in its glory at this time of year. Glossy black feathering sets off its golden eye ring and bill.
Easily overlooked is Mr Blackbird's missus - but here she is, a warm chocolate brown and as impressive a piece of camouflage as you'll want to see. Her mottled breast sometimes sees her confused with her thrush cousins, but she always has much more brown than either the mistle or song thrushes.
Blackbirds are one of our most successful garden birds. They adapt superbly to garden conditions, nest early in the season and continue to raise broods of young until as late as early autumn.
The male begins the season a resplendent black and gold cavalier and ends it looking like a beaten up old beggar. But as an example of a great dad, there's no better!
Their hard work is our gain and this lovely hen was very busy gathering worms for her young at the allotment.