This young male blackbird (recognisable for its brownish wings and black smudges on its bill) sung its beautiful song in front of my house yesterday. Were not for the fact that the blackbird song is so familiar we would herald the blackbird as one of the most pleasant songsters. The song thrush gets the name, but in comparison it's just an apprentice compared to the musical delivery of the blackbird. When I first moved to the UK, my garden's blackbird sung the first notes of Ella Fitzgerald 'Fascinating Rhythm', one of the blackbirds a couple of year back sung 'La Cucaracha' chorus really well. It really deserves the name of the soul thrush.
Blackbirds are magical. They never repeat a phrase exactly. Thinking of a human comparison, perhaps Eric Dolphy with his flute, doodling in an idle moment. But they are more than that. Whenever I hear one I stop to listen to their endless invention and careful artistry.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ralph, you really put it beautifully. We are really lucky we can enjoy the blackbird song just on our doorsteps. Its seasonalily makes the feelings it arouses in us all more intense, like reminding us to enjoy the moment. If it were more seasonal I would feel like the robin is on a par with the Blackbird, although the tone of the blackbird, flute like, more similar to the tone of the human voice, probably makes it more attractive to us.
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