Crook, Co Durham: Do the birds spread their wings out in the heat to shake off lice, boost oil secretion, or simply revel in the rays?I guessed that the intermittent rustling sound under the beech hedge was a blackbird foraging, even before the culprit emerged, maniacally hurling dead leaves to left and right in a vain search for worms. During the hot weather earthworms have burrowed deep and curled up in underground chambers to escape the drought; there hasn't been enough rain to coax them back to the surface. The bird stood on the path, looked briefly in my direction, and sat with drooping wings, seemingly in a state of utter exhaustion, with his back to the sun. Then he seemed to collapse, beak open, rump feathers puffed up, wings spread wide, tail fanned. Continue reading...
Country diary: a blackbird entranced by the sun
16. srpna 2018 7:00
Příroda
Celý článek: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/16/country-diary-blackbird-entranced-by-the-sun-crook-durham
Zdroj: The Guardian