Hot Bird

Every afternoon this week this blackbird has been sunning itself in the hottest spot in the garden, in our potato patch. It sits in a trance, wings spread out, panting with its beak open, eyes glazed over .... and potentially easy prey for cats. Given the risk, there must be some biological imperative for this behaviour. The favourite theory seems to be that the heat forces parasites in the feathers on its back to move around, making it easier for the bird to reach them with its beak.