My sister called me as there were two birds in the garden she didn't recognise - I rushed into the lounge but I had no idea what the birds were. They are larger than the blackbirds in the garden and were very fluttery in the bushes. Is this a youngster? I have no idea and if any of you birders out there can identify I would be grateful. How lovely to see new birds in the garden.
I searched my bird book and now think it is a fieldfare. See my other capture in my alternate album.
What a great shot and find Pam. Yes as many have already said above, it is a Fieldfare, it will have been driven by the very cold weather in Europe and our east into gardens looking for food. They, and Redwings are winter migrants to the UK, normally in a mild winter we don't see that many, but in a hard winter huge flocks will fly west in search of food. The ground is too hard to look for worms and insects, and most of the berries have been stripped from the trees.
This time of year they would normally be thinking of heading back east, some as far as back to Russia to breed.
I have had flocks of both Fieldfares and Redwings in previous hard spells but not for a few years now.
For similar reasons to those above, I have also spotted a quite a rarity, a very timid Song Thrush in my garden this morning, coming to the food on the ground.
This time of year they would normally be thinking of heading back east, some as far as back to Russia to breed.
I have had flocks of both Fieldfares and Redwings in previous hard spells but not for a few years now.
For similar reasons to those above, I have also spotted a quite a rarity, a very timid Song Thrush in my garden this morning, coming to the food on the ground.