blackbird or cuckoo?

[weekendwellies]

.. I am not sure.

I have had in my back garden what I thought was a blackbird fledgling since at least Sunday.
The parents dutifully come and bring it food. I think they have another clutch of eggs somewhere as the male will come for an hour or so and then the female for an hour or so. Never both in the same period of time.
The chick scuttles around the garden ducking in and out of the shrubbery, staying hidden for a while, and comes hopping out when the parents and often when other birds come to the garden. It drinks and bathes in the bin lid that I have for just such activities.
Its left wing hangs down a little and we thought this may have been injured in some way, but yesterday when I watched it having a bath it was flapping away happily, so I dont think now that there is any injury.

It is brown, mottled and slightly paler on the belly than on the back so it does look like a blackbird, and is about the same size as the parents, if not a little bigger. But I was looking in my bird book and the cuckoo chicks also appear quite similar to this.
I have no knowledge of cuckoos being in the area.
It is quite bold, sitting on the little wall outside my lounge now looking at me looking at it.

What do you think? Could I have a cuckoo in my garden or is it likely the blackbirds own?

[rustylady]

As there's only one I think it's quite likely you have a cuckoo.

[TEB]

Any chance of a picture, a lot of fledglings look bigger than the adults at first because their feathers are all fluffed up

[weekendwellies]

sorry I dont have a working camera at the moment or I would post a picture.

It did cross my mind that it only looked bigger because of the feathers being fluffed up as you say TEB.

[weekendwellies]

i have dug out my old camera and am in the process of figuring out how to transfer the pics to the computer while the battery charges. I didn't have a computer when I got it so I didn't bother reading up on downloading pics. just took the memory stick to a friend who printed off the ones I wanted for me.

Once the battery is charged I will try and get some pics.

[weekendwellies]

ok I give up. How do you get those thumbnail thingies to appear on here?

[TEB]

ok I give up. How do you get those thumbnail thingies to appear on here?

The way I do it is, by clicking on the paperclip icon (it says attachments when you hover your mouse over it) and then using the browse button to locate the picture and then click on the Upload button

[weekendwellies]

not sure if this is right but here goes...

[Jeanied]

That's a baby blackbird for sure.

[TEB]

Baby blackbirds make me laugh, they alway look so grumpy

[weekendwellies]

That's a baby blackbird for sure.

oh good, I would be pleased either way though.

We dont have too many blackbirds around here so another one is great, but we dont as far as I know have cuckoos either, so that would be good too.

And I have been 'encouraged' into digging out my old camera, so can now take more pictures. I used to take a lot but have not done any for a while.
And I have learned how to post pictures on here, bonus!

And whilst observing baby blackbird I have seen a mouse scuttling about back garden and a goldfinch which I havent seen in ages!

[Jeanied]

Ain't it great when it works like that WW!

[weekendwellies]

It is Jeanied, It is.

But now I am confused. I took some snaps of the lavender, to post on the other thread but they keep failing to load onto the thread.

[weekendwellies]

well, s/he seems to have left my garden. I have been absent most of the weekend but I haven't seen or heard it while I have been about. On Friday s/he was managing to flutter about a bit. S/he made it onto the tardis and into the apple tree. I still hear the adults chuck-chucking for it, so I assume it is in neighbouring gardens. I do hope it is safe and well. I got quite attached during the short time it was with us.

[gojiberry]

I was going to say blackbird even before I saw the picture but the pictures definitely confirm blackbird. It is not impossible but would be unusual for a cuckoo to use a blackbird nest. It may well be your youngster is a bit behind the rest of the brood which could be in other gardens and a bit more mobile.

Ian