Unusual garden Blackbird activity.

Since early March I've noticed an increase in the numbers of Blackbirds using our garden. This is unusual as you'd expect the resident breeding pair(s) to chase off intruders. Only two have been re-traps of birds previously ringed and only one has been a juvenile (3J). In fact I've only seen two juveniles in the garden all spring. The ringing data is shown below and as can be seen there is a high incidence of 6M birds. These are males aged in at least their 3rd calendar year. As I write this I know there is at least one more un-ringed bird that appears only to have one eye.

16/03/2020	Blackbird	6	M
11/04/2020	Blackbird	5	M
21/04/2020	Blackbird	5	F
18/05/2020	Blackbird	6	F
19/05/2020	Blackbird	6	M
19/05/2020	Blackbird	3J	F
22/05/2020	Blackbird	6	M
27/05/2020	Blackbird	5	M
30/05/2020	Blackbird	6	M
30/05/2020	Blackbird	6	M
30/05/2020	Blackbird	6	M
02/06/2020	Blackbird	6	M

Other ringers have reported the same and it appears that the long hot dry spell may have caused a food shortage so local birds have given up breeding and coming into the garden to feed as I always feed throughout the summer and there is food available. Hopefully national ringing data will support this theory when its all collated. 

In addition we've had an influx of Starlings. Not many but when you ring 15 in a couple of weeks after not seeing any in the garden for the 3 years we've been here its significant. We are surrounded by improved pasture grazed by sheep and dairy cattle and the ground has been so dry theres probably not many grubs or worms they can find.

One 2nd calendar year male Blackbird (5M) had interesting plumage in that its underparts had brown tips giving it a scaly appearance.

It reminded me a bit of a stockamsel type first described at Heligoland bird observatory a few years ago to describe a bird that showed both male and female characteristics. A really ofd looking bird and I've seen a few 'continental' birds with silvery scaling on the underparts but never one brown like this.