Redwings?

[Lily]

I'm only really an amateur at ornithology but I like to keep an eye on what is visiting our garden and I've just returned from a term at uni to find what I believe are redwings in the garden. When I first saw them I knew they were definitely thrushes of some sort and they have the bar above the eye and the reddish tint beneath the wing so I'm pretty sure I'm not mistaken in saying that they are redwings.
However when I read about them on the internet I discovered that they do not commonly visit gardens and if they do they only usually do so singularly. In my garden however I've spotted at least 6 and often 2 or more in the same holly tree feeding at once.
Does this mean I'm probably mistaken in my identification (sorry for lack of a picture but my camera really isn't up to the job...) or is the information that I read just a bit out of date? Or could it be a case that food is scarce at the moment so they're taking what they can get?
Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks.

[Jason Claxton]

Your I.D of Redwing does sound correct Lily,it would be nice to see some photos to make sure. Most of the Redwings are forming winter flocks now,so it often follows that where there is one bird ,there will be more along.

Cheers Jason.

[solus]

Sounds like a pretty good description of Redwing to me too!

If there's a source of food (holly berries?) then it is likely several birds will be taking advantage of it together once one has discovered it - in fact I have very rarely encountered single Redwings (or Fieldfares): they seem to occur far more often in flocks, often quite sizeable ones. True, they are more frequently seen in the countryside where there are fields and hedgerows but they do also visit gardens, especially if there are berries or apples there.

[Madelinew]

I had a redwing in my garden here on the Isle of Wight for the first time last year. Sadly I think it was on it's way somewhere are I didn't see it again but it was very exciting to think first it was a thrush and then realising it was a redwing. Yours may be en route too. I've seen plenty further north.

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by Lily

...
However when I read about them on the internet I discovered that they do not commonly visit gardens and if they do they only usually do so singularly. In my garden however I've spotted at least 6 and often 2 or more in the same holly tree feeding at once... is the information that I read just a bit out of date? Or could it be a case that food is scarce at the moment so they're taking what they can get?
Thanks.

Hi Lily

There was an extraordinary and almost unprecedented influx of Redwing into the UK this autumn and reports of roosts of up to 50,000 last month. On 26-28 November, I saw upto 30,000 roosting in approx 1 square mile. Reports from Scandinavia seems to suggest that berry crops have been good, (hence little Waxwing movement this year) and reports from Norway have suggested Redwing have also been sighted in high numbers and hanging around longer than normal. All of which suggests that rather than any winter food shortage elsewhere, there was a population explosion during the breeding season in Iceland or Scandinavia, pushing larger than normal numbers southwest into the UK this winter. Of course we have a bumper winter crop of berries this year along with mild weather earlier in the year, so plenty of food for them and it's likely they will be seen in higher numbers in our gardens in the mid winter season as they 'clean' up the countryside!

[Natasha_38]

I have also spotted a Redwing for the first time. It has been feeding on berries on the bushes in my garden for the first time. I noticed him (her?) for the first time yesterday & again today. I was so excited as I've never spotted one before. Poor thing is being bullied by the resident blackbird though so hope he doesn't get scared off!

[thebeard]

they're very nomadic, so they don't tend to stay in one place for long anyway