Bathing Blackbird

There are puddles all along the footpath on the River Teign past the scrap metal works. This male Blackbird is making full use of the facilities and having a great splash.

I think, “It’s doing its ablutions”, and then, “That’s probably from the Latin and it’s an Italian word too”. I check; abluzione. This language business would be easy if only I knew some verbs; you can’t do anything without them, literally.