ey_tony
Well-known member
Here's an interesting one for you guys.
This little fella along with his OH has a nest in my hedge which I had to abandon cutting recently when I discovered they had a nest. They keep popping in and out all day with food so they must have chicks though I try not to disturb them.
I stood by recently just in case they needed help when I spotted a magpie which was clearly searching through my hedges looking for nests to rob...they immediately mobbed it when it got close to the nest and so too did other birds so my services weren't really needed but a bit of hand waving and shouting from me seemed to put the blighter off and he's not been back so far.
Anyway just look at the little fella's head. My OH struggled to get a decent image on her old phone but she did mange this one which I had to enlarge it substantially hence the poor quality which clearly shows the strange shape of the rear of his head. My OH is convinced that it's a tumour but I'm inclined to think it's a kind of crest.
Whatever it is, it doesn't affect his ability to raise chicks and he's a very attendant and conscientious father. I've nicknamed him eggy ...short for egghead. He's a very sociable little fella now that he realises we mean him no harm and appreciates the food we put down for him or such as earth worms when my OH is doing a bit of gardening.
So what do you guys think?
I confess I've not seen anything like it on a blackbird though I've seen plenty that are odd coloured

This little fella along with his OH has a nest in my hedge which I had to abandon cutting recently when I discovered they had a nest. They keep popping in and out all day with food so they must have chicks though I try not to disturb them.
I stood by recently just in case they needed help when I spotted a magpie which was clearly searching through my hedges looking for nests to rob...they immediately mobbed it when it got close to the nest and so too did other birds so my services weren't really needed but a bit of hand waving and shouting from me seemed to put the blighter off and he's not been back so far.
Anyway just look at the little fella's head. My OH struggled to get a decent image on her old phone but she did mange this one which I had to enlarge it substantially hence the poor quality which clearly shows the strange shape of the rear of his head. My OH is convinced that it's a tumour but I'm inclined to think it's a kind of crest.
Whatever it is, it doesn't affect his ability to raise chicks and he's a very attendant and conscientious father. I've nicknamed him eggy ...short for egghead. He's a very sociable little fella now that he realises we mean him no harm and appreciates the food we put down for him or such as earth worms when my OH is doing a bit of gardening.
So what do you guys think?
I confess I've not seen anything like it on a blackbird though I've seen plenty that are odd coloured
