Een takkenmerel Turdus merula

Usually the garden of the author is occupied by two pairs of Blackbirds of which the males regularly fight and threaten each other. On 16 April 2005 one of the males kept a little twig of about 7.5 cm in its bill while threatening the other. The same behaviour was observed on 17 and 19 April. On 19 April this male also held a twig while displaying to a female. On every occasion another twig was used. After this date the bird was not seen to handle twigs again