Whilst photographing the Song Thrushes in my recent post, I spotted a Blackbird with an abnormal amount of white in its plumage. I went back to the same spot last Saturday to see if it was still around, and it was. It seemed a little more elusive than the 'normal' Blackbirds, but eventually I was able to obtain a few reasonable shots of it:
This was in the same area as a Blackbird I photographed here two years ago. Not sure whether it is the same bird, or whether it is a descendant sharing some of the same leucistic genes.
Very unusual marking indeed, but very beautiful. Lovely photos Jeremy.
ReplyDeleteI've seen ones with a little white but not as much as that. It is rather attractive I think. Lovely photos Jeremy.
ReplyDeleteWe had a Goldfinch with very similar markings and virtually no black feathers, lovely photo
ReplyDeleteWe had one about two years ago, maybe some new birds, lol.
ReplyDeletevery unique but pretty, too.
ReplyDeleteI dont know what the longevity of Blackbirds is supposed to be, but that particular Blackbird has been around for a good few years now. His territory is in the vicinity of that old stone font and can always be seen in that area. What I have noticed recently is that there are now a few male Blackbirds in the park with white markings so I assume they are his offspring and he has passed this on to them. Similarly there is a male Chaffinch in the park who has been around for a couple of years whom I have named stumpy because of his abnormal left claw. More recently I have now noticed other male Chaffinches in the vicinity with leg deformities and I assume he has passed on the faulty gene???
ReplyDeleteHi Stifyn,
ReplyDeleteI've also seen Chaffinches there with those leg deformities. Could be genetic, or it could be a disease: http://btoringing.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/papilloma-in-chaffinches-not-for-faint.html