Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Sixty-nine

Day Sixty-nine

Tomorrow will be ten weeks since I picked up this laptop and a few bits and pieces from my office and came home. 

I haven't really had many days off in all that time and none of us have really had a day off from the ten weeks of uncertainty that this viral pandemic has caused. 

But the weather looks nice today. And it's a Bank Holiday so I'm having the day off and relaxing.

So I'm going to tell you a quick story about relaxing. One that's set in the office I haven't seen in ten weeks.

My office window looks out onto the Wildlife Trust staff garden where there are some benches. And one day last year I looked out and noticed a Great Tit was sunbathing on the bench.

'Sunbathing' is a common behaviour seen in birds and the warm sunshine helps them keep their feathers in tip-top condition. You can read more here.

While I was watching, a Song Thrush flew over and starting sunbathing under the bench.

Then a Blackbird flew in and spread himself out on the bench too next to the Great Tit. 

All three of them were lounging around sunbathing. And then a Wren flew in to see what was going on. 

And then the Wren started sunbathing too.

So there they all were, socially distanced, lounging around on the bench. (The Song Thrush was getting too hot so hopped into the shade). 

But then for some reason, and I still can't work out why, the Wren hopped down next to the Blackbird.

And got closer...

And closer...

And then the Wren just sort of snuggled up and they sunbathed together.

After a while, the Wren flew off, leaving the Blackbird looking as confused as I did about the whole thing. 

I still can't figure this behaviour out. Birds usually don't tolerate such intimacy from other species. Were the Blackbird's black feathers radiating more warmth? If you have any explanations leave them in the comments below. 

Meanwhile here are The Kinks (here) with a sunbathing song for you. Have a relaxing Bank Holiday.