It astounds me how many of the new additions to the Bird Species List have been photographed inside the cat enclosure.  Here is another one!  Although, due to its size, I can’t imagine how it got into the enclosure. Thankfully I noticed it before the cats caught it, and was able to catch and release it back into the wild.

The Common Blackbird was introduced to Australia from Europe, with my field guide noting that it was recorded as already being in Melbourne by 1862.  The species spread into New South Wales and South Australia, and is now quite common in urban areas.

I first photographed a Blackbird when we were constructing the cat enclosure.  The photograph was ordinary, and the bird facing away from the camera, so I resolved to wait for a better photo.  Well, I got one yesterday, but it took that long to see the Blackbird again.  If the species is here on a regular basis, it must be in a spot not easily viewed from the house.

Looking at the plumage and my field guide, I can see that the bird in the cat enclosure was a male.  Male Blackbirds have black plumage, and females have dark brown plumage.