The early morning is the best time to watch the Blackbird seeking its food, 

 which consists of the small slugs and earthworms which abound on the lawns and 

 pasture-lands. One by one the birds fly down from the evergreens and alight 

 on the grass, with a graceful motion of the tail, pausing for a moment, with the 

 appearance of listening intently before they begin to feed. Along the hedge- 

 rows, among the undergrowth, are snails which live in bright-coloured shells ; 

 these the Blackbird dashes to pieces against some stone, and greedily devours 

 the juicy morsels thus obtained. In autumn the turnip-fields are alive with 

 these birds seeking the snails and worms which abound in the loose soil 

 under the leaves, and at this season they also devour large quantities of 

 berries, chiefly those of the mountain ash and hawthorn. In the fruit season the 

 Blackbird takes its toll of the cherries, currants, and strawberries in the garden, 

 often paying the penalty of death in the gardener's nets. 



The Blackbird commences to sing late in February, and its rich mellow 

 notes may be heard from that time till the end of May, when it gradually 

 leaves off singing and remains silent during July, when the autumn moult is 

 in progress, rarely commencing again before the next spring. In compass and 

 richness of tone the song of the Blackbird is unsurpassed, though it possesses 

 little variety. The early morning, and in the evening as the sun is sinking, 

 are the times when the Blackbird sings its sweetest. Perched on some lofty 

 tree, it pours forth a continuous stream of rich mellow notes, which have an 

 indescribably soothing tone about them. 



During the pairing season the Blackbirds are extremely pugnacious, and 

 the males may often be seen chasing each other through the branches and 

 fighting with perfect fury. 



Early in April the Blackbird builds its nest. Its breeding-haunts are 

 among the woods, plantations, and shrubberies. Very varied situations are 

 chosen for the nest, though preference is given to evergreens. Sometimes the 

 nest is placed far up the ivy-covered trunk of some tall tree, sometimes in 

 the fork of an apple-tree, or in a low, thick laurel bush. It is also pretty 

 often built on the ground in steep ravines among ferns and coarse grass. Curious 

 sites are often chosen : one nest was built on the steps of a ladder leaning 

 up in a corner of an old potting-shed ; and another, not far off, was placed in 

 a hole in a wall in just such a site as a Robin would build. I came across 

 a Blackbird's nest on the ground among very long heather in the middle of 

 an open space in a large wood. 



The nest takes some time to complete, and passes through three stages. 

 The foundation is somewhat loosely built of coarse grass, leaves, and moss, 



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