Blackbird sunbathing

You know it is hot and sunny when even the birds are sunbathing!  I was cutting the grass and stopped for a while between the front garden and the back.  When I returned to move the mower the male Blackbird had settled down on the lawn for a spell of sunbathing.

For those who have never watched a bird sunbathing,  they spread their feathers out and lie in the sun for a while.  Every so often they have a spell preening the feathers.  There are possibly two reasons for sunbathing.  The obvious one is that the sun helps them to spread the preen oil along the feathers.  This is important to keep the feathers in good condition and waterproofed.  There is a theory that the sun helps some species to synthesise parts of the preen oil into vitamin D.  This can then enter the body through the skin or when the feathers are being preened.