From Paul Douglas, Wellington, New Zealand
Regarding the subjects of your book of the week, Steve Brusatte’s The Story of Birds, I’m so happy to live alongside them in the bush on the outskirts of Wellington, especially the blackbirds. I often imagine them as dinosaurs, scuttling around very close by and doing raids to get food (13 June, p 22).
I have observed them for nearly 10 years now, and I know most of them very well. Blackbirds are great communicators, and they are excellent flyers when they want to travel through thick scrub and bush. They also seem to be highly individualistic.
