We get Blackbirds attempting to nest in the garden every year but they always get predated by corvids or squirrels. I didn't even know they were making a nesting attempt until I found a nest with 3 eggs about 1 m off the ground behind a climbing rose and against a fence post. For some reason the clutch only consisted of 3 eggs and only hatched. Every morning and evening I'd patrol the garden to deter predators and keep the local cats at bay and eventually the one youngster fledged. Unfortunately I've not seen it since and assume one of the neighbours cats got it as it couldn't fly particularly well.
The male Blackbird of the pair has a huge growth on his lower abdomen and I wonder if this is the cause of the infertile eggs. He's been around all winter and has avoided all attempts to catch him. He was a good father though and I often watched him sneak along the fence line and take his turn sitting on the nest. Whilst the female was sitting he went into definite stealth mode.
The pair are currently making another nest in a different part of the garden.
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