Blackbirds battle for territory

OVER the past few days my small front lawn has become a disputed territory, something like a miniature Crimea. The rival claimants are two male blackbirds.

Most of the initial arguments are expressed by hopping along the lawn in a series of tightly choreographed patterns. The main manoeuvre consists of hopping in a straight line, parallel to each other and about a metre apart. Their yellow-ringed eyes are placed on the sides of their heads so this allows them to glare at each other as they hop. Then they’ll turn to face each other and make bowing gestures. Sometimes this is followed up by a charge, though they usually contrive to miss their opponent by a safe distance. Occasionally the charge is pressed home and both birds ascend vertically into the air, slapping each other with their wings.

This has been going on for the best part of a week, with no apparent injuries and no apparent victor. Many of the movements they make on the ground are oddly similar to the initial stages of the red deer rut, when rival stags trot parallel to each other before turning face to face and roaring.