Blackbird ( Turdus merula )

We awoke to rain, just for a change!  However as the day went on there were times when you could almost convince yourself it was July.  In one of the afternoon sunny spells we were sitting out on the patio enjoying a pre-prandial sherry when we spotted this Blackbird.

At first glance it looks like a female, being brown rather than black.  However looking at the beak I suspect it is an immature male not yet moulted into adult plumage.  I have never known an adult female with so yellow a beak.

I think the reason it was hanging about where it was was because it was looking to see if there were any berries left on the Berberis.