In Britain Blackbirds seem to begin to breed impossibly early (when there
are still frosts and snow), and continue to produce a clutch every two
months or so until impossibly late in the year. Their losses are enormous,
but I guess this is their way of maximising the number of offspring.
Perhaps the Canberra ones are just doing the same thing.
Talking of Blackbirds, we have just felled a Hawthorn (Crataegus) Tree in
out back yard. I was laden with berries, and while the cut branches were
still lying on the ground a male Blackbird arrived and sat, very
disconsolately, in them. I guess he was probably counting on those berries
to last him through the winter (some northern hemisphere thrushes defend a
berry-laden tree against other thrushes and others of their species so as to
survive through the winter). Tough luck Blackbird, we've planted wattles
instead.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Dr John Leonard
PO Box 243, Woden,
ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
" Old pond,
leap-splash?
a frog. " Basho
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
