I have just been watching the four Blackbirds in our backyard that have now grown and beginning to take on the colours of their male and female identity. One is black (male) and the others are brown.
Of the five that hatched in December 2012, four managed to survive. The parents had made a conscious decision, the nest could accomodate just four. With five hungry mouths popping up as the parents arrived at the nest, the last one was always trampled on, edged out by the others and eventually died after a few days! I think the parents had made a conscious decision not to feed the youngest.
The young ones still move together everywhere around our backyard where there are plenty of earthworms and fruit to feed on, and have a bath at the bird bath at the end of the day!
Their parents have not been sighted for awhile now. Wonder where they have gone! Their original home behind my bedroom window is as it is, untouched and never been visited.
I wonder if they will ever come back to the same nest or go the process of making a new nest every year!
Here are a few photos from the day they were hatched till they left the nest, all on the same day with a gentle coaxing and a little training from the parents.
None returned to the nests to bed for the night and were happy to nest in the safety of the trees nearby.
It has been amazing to watch them each day from the time they were hatched to now, independent and feeding on their own. I kept thinking that there are so many lessons to learn from this event. No education, no fighting, each of the parents did what they had to do, with a single minded purpose – procreate and ensure that the young ones they brought into the world, would be fed and eventually left to survive on their own, after making sure they were on their feet! That was it.
Kevin Peterson Photography - Melbourne 
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