Another Berry guzzler

Another bird very partial to eating fruit is the Redwing, another winter migrant from the frozen North. Song Thrush sized with a distinctive pale eye-stripe and of course, a very obvious red underwing, a cracking bird.

What`s the Anser?

The window of opportunity has been firmly closed just lately, what with the winter nights drawing in earlier and earlier and work being constrained to the few daylight hours we have got in the U.K. at this time of year. Because of this I have been unable to catch up with the long-staying European White-fronted Goose that has been at Ferry Meadows CP for the past week. On Saturday this window was slightly ajar and so I made the trip to the cereal field close to the Nene Valley Railway line where this goose was known to be residing along with a flock of 70 ish Greylag Geese.

The bird was present and seemed to be quite content with feeding amongst its` larger cousins, but the peace was to be shattered with the arrival of an out of control Airedale terrier! The dog bounded across the field intent on getting to the flock of geese, which quickly flew off, with its owners frantically calling the `out of control` animal. On passing me they apologised, saying that he always does that sort of thing! Now, I am an animal lover, indeed Lisa`s job is looking after people`s dogs, but why, if you cannot control your dog do you not walk it on a lead? I only ask, because this incident beggared belief.

This bird represents number 169 for the year in the PBC area, a paltry number when you consider the species that have been seen this year, but I have been either away, or unable to get away from work when these other birds have been seen and they have not lingered. Hopefully, I will reach 170, but time is against me.

The White-fronted goose is the most common European goose, with over 36,000 wintering in Britain and Ireland. They tend to spend the winter in the south of England ( East Anglia and Kent ) and the west, particularly the Severn and Swale estuaries. There are two races of this goose, the European one (the one at Ferry Meadows) and the Greenland race, which tend to winter around Wexford in Ireland.

Redwing

Digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30

A visit to Crown Lakes in Farcet near Peterborough to try and connect with a Waxwing. None about today, however there were numerous winter thrushes including the above Redwing.


These winter thrushes come to this country in their hundreds of thousands to feed on berries (particularly hawthorn) and other fruit. When the berries become exhausted they start to eat earthworms.


Every year a handful breed in Scotland, but the huge numbers come from Scandanavia and Iceland, with the Scandanavian birds wintering in southern Britain and the Icelandic ones staying in Scotland and Ireland.


A very beautiful member of the thrush family, which is a little smaller than the Song Thrush with rusty-red flanks and underwings, hence the name Redwing.