To say hello to a blackbird every evening and feel lovely about it

[badonkydonk]

Every evening at dusk, there is a beautiful blackbird singing its tuneful little heart out just behind my house. Same tree, and same time (later and later as the nights get longer). I just happened to notice him a few nights in row but I actively stand outside to hear it now.

The latest development is that I actually address him as Mr Blackbird (maybe Mrs Blackbird but I don't like to pry), say good evening to him and tell him how lovely he is (may have even asked him if he had a good day tonight!)

Does anyone else say hello to random things and get an overbearing sense of warmth from it?

I wave at and say hello to random animals I pass - dogs, cows, horses etc.

DH is used to it but sometimes I accidentally do it around colleagues/acquaintances and have to stop myself mid-wave

Is this you, Badonkydonk?

Squirrels, birds, cats, frogs, snails all get a hello from me. I even feed bees. My kids are the same.

I love to watch and hear birds and wildlife. Mr Thrush is back in our neighbours birch tree and sings his heart out several times a day. I say good morning to him and also call out 'Morning ladies' to the female blackbirds hopping about avoiding the blokes!.

We have a fox visit our garden most nights and the other evening he was having a fight out the back lane with another male- the sound was HORRENDOUS- like male chimpanzees on the rampage.
Earlier in the year we had tawny owls establishing their territory and I love to stand out on a calm night and listen to them. For some reason in our house we end a lot of animal words with Y so Owl-y, Vole-y etc. I am grown up...honest

Best of all are the gangs of long tailed tits that swoop in onto the nut and fat ball feeders and then swoop off again. They have the most charming, sweet little faces

Looking forward to bees in the garden again and watching them clamber inot foxgloves- the muffled buzz they make always makes me smile. We used to live in a house with cobbled street out the back and for a few months each year we used to get the tiniest little bees burrow into the soil in between each cobblestone and live under there

Gladdens the heart seeing all this and knowing that there are other people who feel the same

I also say hallo to, and have random conversations with, any creatures I come across, including all the bugs I find in the office toilets (see to find quite a few in there for some reason).

A few years ago I used to pass a pig on my walk to and from work. If she wasn't too busy when I walked past she'd come over to the gate for a scratch behind her ear. Would sometimes follow me down the fenceline to get a repeat.

One morning I was walking past the field (the gate, our usual meeting point, was at the far end) and there was no sign of her, so I called out "Good morning, Miss Piggy" not expecting a reaction, but at least I hadn't ignored my friend. Well, she came running out of her house and bounded to the gate to make sure she could get her morning scratch! I've never seen a full-sized pig move so fast, and the fact she went to where I would be rather than where I was just then astounded me.

I did miss her when she left.

I love watching the bumblebees.
They are so fat and pretend to be busy and they keep flying into the house and have to be guided out.

Yes I do

I talk to cats and I love Robins so talk to them

I use my Disney animal tone of voice (not with an American accent) so they can understand what I am saying

I filled the bird bath in our back garden with fresh water yesterday, and Mr. Blackbird promptly jumped in and had a long, thorough splash, hopping out, then going back in for a second dip. Of course, nobody else could so much as sip at the sides while Mr. BB had his morning bath.

Our feeding station is busy with sparrows, bluetits, coal tits great tits, the robin, Mr. and Mrs. Blackbird, collared doves, and of course town and wood pigeons. Goldfinches very occasionally, if we're lucky, and just once we had a pair of waxwings visit.

Robins have been especially friendly with people for centuries. My wee pal is never far away, and loves a wee tidbit of cheese every now and then.

Goldfinches are beautiful, but they are very feisty little things, there's always some sort of trouble on their feeder, and they are very messy eaters.

Love them.

Aw that's lovely x I always say hello to cats I pass it makes me smile too.

You could sing that old song "Bye bye blackbird " to him....."Make my bed, light the lights, I'll arrive, late tonight, Blackbird bye bye...."

I suppose I could sing "When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along" if I wasn't completely tone deaf

I use my Disney animal tone of voice (not with an American accent) so they can understand what I am saying That's fantastic. :)

IfonlyIweretaller I thought my mum was the only one to spoil her blackbirds with sultanas. She has several regulars in her garden who even tap on the kitchen or bedroom window to get her attention when they are hungry.

Another one who talks to birds and animals here.

Robins are very territorial. A few years back my DH was standing just inside our open patio doors when a robin shot in pursued by another robin, which screeched to a halt by the door. The first robin flew around panicking and then settled on the mantelpiece. DH went over quietly to it and he hopped on to his shoulder and stayed there. (Somewhere in my photograph albums I have pictures of it).

DH walked around the room with it on his shoulder and then out on to the patio, but it just stayed on his shoulder. Finally he gently lifted him off and put him on the edge of our bird bath...but robin flew back on his shoulder. He obviously thought he had found his white knight!

Eventually DH coaxed him to go into the ivy on the garden wall. But he still followed him back to the house where he stayed, hopping in and out of the holly bush that abuts the house wall. Every morning after that all through the spring the little bird was waiting when we drew the curtains back in the morning for his feast of mealy worms and raisins and would hop on to DH's shoulder if he was around. He disappeared in the summer but returned mid winter for three years until, sadly, he never came back the fourth winter. So he probably went to the great bird nest in the sky

He's been back tonight but got spooked by either the wood pigeon that came and landed beside him or the mahoosive helicopter that's flying around very low.

Must have been the pigeon, he's now happily chirping at the aforementioned helicopter....

I use my Disney animal tone of voice (not with an American accent) so they can understand what I am saying

Ah, now I use my very best swallowed-the-dictionary English when I'm talking to them. I feel very proud that lots of birds choose my garden, so I consider myself personally responsible for ensuring that the chicks turn into well adjusted teenagers with good GCSEs.

"I thought my mum was the only one to spoil her blackbirds with sultanas. "

I read that as "boil her blackbirds with sultanas" at first.

I suppose it's an alternative to baking them in a pie.

What a lovely thread!

I think that blackbirds have the most beautiful song.

Did any of you catch any of those radio 3 broadcasts last year where they paired music with birdsong? Just wonderful. I think they're still available to listen to.

Although one thing that struck me about the recordings is how much more complex and adventurous birdsong is than the music we make. We really are rank amateurs.

Do birds like sultanas?

They are ok to eat them?

we are very lucky enough to get a wide variety of birds in our garden, we have a resident blackbird who has been visiting for a few years now, he is very tame, he comes hopping over to our window & chirps, he's saying 'where's me breakfast/lunch/dinner' lol, we talk to him, he is such a lovely little fella, he keeps us company when we're in the garden, we feed him meal worms & sultanas, the lovely little robin also likes sultanas. we regularly get 3 jays who also come in to feed, along with nut hatches, goldfinches, bullfinches, blue & green tits, wrens, doves, a red spotted woodpecker has been on the feeders most days, coal tits, song thrush, chaffinches, wood pigeons, magpies, red kites, squirrels, foxes, badgers & sometimes pheasants. it's such an absolute joy to be able to see so many beautiful birds & animals in our garden. so you are definitely not being unreasonable in talking to your little friend the blackbird or to any other bird or animal, it's truly a beautiful thing to be able to live alongside such wonderful creatures wonderful thread

chardonnay - blackbirds, robins & thrushes have been enjoying sultanas in our garden sunflower hearts are very good as well

chardonnay - this might be helpful www.rspb.org.uk/community/chat/f/2542/p/14329/98698.aspx