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A snap shot of what's been happening in the Bedlington West Ward over the last 4 years. This one!.mp4 536174421_Thisone!.mp4

'I couldn't swear to it but I would say Blackbird - extract from Wikipedia = The adult male of the common blackbird (Turdus merula merula which is the nominate subspecies), which is found throughout most of Europe, is all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill and has a rich, melodious song; the adult female and juvenile have mainly dark brown plumage. This species breeds in woods and gardens, building a neat, mud-lined, cup-shaped nest. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits. So that description doesn't fully match yours but my ageing eyes detect a 'yellow eye-ring' in two of your photos' Wikipedia needs updating as regards Blackbirds. British Blackbirds normally have the yellow eye ring whereas mainland Europeen birds do not have the ring. A lot of blackbirds migrate to Britain and south in mainland Europe in the autumn and stay until spring. These birds can usually be picked out by the lack of the eye ring but not always. 1st year British birds do not have the eye ring until the following spring. British cock Blackbirds do not develop a yellow beak until their 1st spring and then retain it for life. Continental birds arrive in Britain with dark brown or black beaks. I don't know if they develop yellow beaks when they fly back to the area they hatched. They do not have yellow beaks when they migrate to Britain. Canny Lass that is why the yellow eye ring cannot be seen on your photos. Blackbirds become territorial in the spring which explains why your birds were chasing each other. Blackbirds do not line their nests with mud. Only grass is used to form the nest bowl. The Song Thrush lines its nest with mud on top of a grass formed bowl. The eggs are laid directly onto that mud once it has partly dried out and is strong enough to support the hen bird. There is no soft lining. As an aside. Blackbird cocks have a loud song and will sit high up on a bush for hours singing. Their song is repetitive, a loop. A song thrush mixes up the notes so never sings in a pattern. I like listening to both.

I couldn't swear to it but I would say Blackbird - extract from Wikipedia = The adult male of the common blackbird (Turdus merula merula which is the nominate subspecies), which is found throughout most of Europe, is all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill and has a rich, melodious song; the adult female and juvenile have mainly dark brown plumage. This species breeds in woods and gardens, building a neat, mud-lined, cup-shaped nest. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits. So that description doesn't fully match yours but my ageing eyes detect a 'yellow eye-ring' in two of your photos🧐

My research has only ever come across a couple of local newspapers which can be accessed through the Northumberland Archives. Unfortunately none of them go back as far as 1835. Blyth and Wansbeck Telegraph and East Northumberland Advertiser 1894 Blyth Examiner 1888 Morpeth Herald 1854 They also have the Newcastle Courant from 1828 but it seems a bit far away for a Bedlington person. It's worth remembering that your average Joe Bloggs didn't often have a newspaper obituary way back then. That was something reserved for the more affluent who could afford it.