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Blackbirds (Turdus merula) have been seen for nearly a week near the forest cameras, moving around in the feeding grounds. They manage quite well now, having found such good eating places.

Some blackbirds stay with us during the winter. They can surprise us with a beautiful song in the middle of late winter, when sunny days with thaw entice them to open their beaks. When the frosts of early spring arrive however the birds become silent again for a while.

On the whole blackbirds prefer to lead a concealed life, and does not press into groups with others. But they can always be heard as the nesting season arrives – they feel at home in wooded areas near settlements and in parks.

 

Note that the dark-brownish female of the blackbird can be mistaken for a fieldfare, Turdo pilaris – a bird who may also stay with us for the winter. There will be more about the fieldfare when spring comes.