Bathing Blackbird

A shower of rain didn't hit the spot for this blackbird, so he had a good old bath in the pond. Really difficult to choose which photo to use (in one his head is totally emerged - very funny but, in isolation, it's hard to see what the picture is!). So I picked this one, with some splash visible, but the bird, too.

I think it's the same blackbird that I blipped the other day, when I called him a female. I think I was wrong and that he is actually a young male. His beak is turning yellow (more so even than a few days ago) and his new feathers are looking blackish. You can see his spotty chest still looks juvenile. Either way, the bird does look a bit cross at being watched as he performs his ablutions! (Actually, he probably didn't spot me through the mucky Sahara-sand-strewn window!)

Now that it's about to go dark, the sun has finally decided to shine. Tomorrow is looking better and after three wet days, I can't wait.