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.
Showing posts with label Winter Thrush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter Thrush. Show all posts
Thursday, 6 December 2012
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.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Fieldfare
A while ago I did a posting about the Redwing, I think it`s only fair that I now do one on its cousin, the Fieldfare.
The Fieldfare is a large, plump thrush, slightly smaller than the Mistle Thrush with rather a long tail. It has a grey head with dark streaks, a pale grey rump, chestnut back and wings and a black tail and flight feathers. Its breast is yellow-orange and very spotted. You could say a rather colourful bird!
They are quite common migrants to Britain in the winter months with over a million individuals making the journey from Scandanavia, although there have been attempts at breeding in the highlands of Scotland by a few pairs. They are found in hedgerows and orchards feeding on berries and fruit, particularly rowan, juniper, elder, hawthorn and holly, but it may also be found in open places such as pasture and on ploughed fields where they eat worms and other invertebrates.
I got the shots below whilst visiting Woodwalton Fen, more of which another time.
All Digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30
The Fieldfare is a large, plump thrush, slightly smaller than the Mistle Thrush with rather a long tail. It has a grey head with dark streaks, a pale grey rump, chestnut back and wings and a black tail and flight feathers. Its breast is yellow-orange and very spotted. You could say a rather colourful bird!
They are quite common migrants to Britain in the winter months with over a million individuals making the journey from Scandanavia, although there have been attempts at breeding in the highlands of Scotland by a few pairs. They are found in hedgerows and orchards feeding on berries and fruit, particularly rowan, juniper, elder, hawthorn and holly, but it may also be found in open places such as pasture and on ploughed fields where they eat worms and other invertebrates.
I got the shots below whilst visiting Woodwalton Fen, more of which another time.
All Digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30
Saturday, 13 November 2010
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.
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