"Asterix" was the name I gave a cheeky little blackbird chick who got too adventurous and fell out of his nest -- which is in the tall palm tree next to the chateau. It was too high for me to get him back or for him to fly up -- so he stayed for a few days ---demanding food every ten minutes (I chewed sunflower seeds and Rye Vita to give to him -- not quite willing to chew worms and insects!)-- until he was ready to test his wings again.
The Blackbird, or Le Merle males and females tend to separate for the winter, but when the breeding season does arrive, often return to the previous season's partner, year after year. Even though they often know their mate from a previous season, they still work hard to impress before a commitment and I have been watching them --- the male raising the feathers of his back and rump, punctuating his display with an exotic lowering and fanning of the tail feathers. Interestingly, the male is the black bird we all recognize as a blackbird, but the female to me looks more like a thrush -- a dark brown with a splattering of whitish spots all over.
The blackbird's nest is an untidy affair, but practical. Usually a messy construction of twigs lined with mud, they are placed in a hedge, shrub or out-building -- or, as in this case, the protected thicket of the base of the palm fronds. Not a great fan of DIY, the male generally takes a backseat in the nest-building exercise, leaving the hard work to the female. I have not been able to see the nest up close, but have been watching them come and go, making their presence known with a loud shrill repeated call.
The blackbird is quick to rear young. After laying about 3-5 eggs, the female will share incubation with the male for around two weeks. About two weeks after hatching, the young will be ready to leave the nest and feed on more insects and earthworms, as they did in the nest. "Asterix" did not seem too fussy -- as long as there was something to swallow down every time he opened wide his eager little beak, and the Chateau diet seemed to do the trick, because he kept on coming for more, and grew and strengthened enough for him to take flight after a few days.
Apparently, after the chicks have left, the parent blackbirds will soon be back in the nest to ensure they raise as many chicks as possible. In fact, this can be as many as five broods of chicks. Up to about 25 chicks per breeding pair in any given year. Now that's dedicated parenting. And I shall look forward to seeing many more little "Asterixes" around the chateau the summer -- as well as inside -- as my favourite wine is "Merlot" -- the French word for "young blackbird"!
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