Fieldfare

[ksg1970]

Foe the last 3 days we have had a Fieldfare in our garden. It stays all day and attacks any other bird who dares to visit (apart from the wood pigeons). It's quite frustrating as we have loads of food out but none of the smaller birds can get to it.

Is it normal for these birds to attack other birds and don't they usually travel in flocks ?

[Connor7]

Yes there are some birds that 'hog' the garden and are more dominate than others
You could always try spacing the food out more....i.e have feeders opposite ends of garden

[glsammy]

For the first time we've just had a Fieldfare in our Garden. It was a real surprise as our black hole of a tiny garden is hardly the right environment for a bird such as this.
Obviously they're getting desperate for food, as they normally feed in large flocks mainly in open fields, feeding on insects fruit etc. but as all the fields are covered in snow, they've got to look elsewhere.
The one we had was feeding on the apple I put out for our resident female blackbird, no other bird would come near whilst the Fieldfare was around.
They're a large unfamiliar bird to our resident species and look in many way similar to a Kestrel, so hardly surprising the others keep away!

[Ollie]

Nice one Graham. I'm getting Song Thrushes and plenty of Blackbirds in the garden but no Fieldfares or Redwings as yet.

[AshLee]

I had Fieldfares in the garden today - this was previously unheard of

[spanielpup]

First time ever, yesterday a lone fieldfare arrived in our garden. What a delight!! I had to consult my books to identify him and sure enough it was. I have taken a few pics if him but they are too far away really. For a bird that moves in huge flocks is it normal just to have one on its own?
The cold weather obviously is bringing them in. Last year for the first time ever we had 2 blackcaps around about this time and they stayed around for a few weeks. Haven't seen them so far this year.
The Fieldfare is really aggressive towards the resident blackbirds ( we have 6 pairs), stayed overnight. We are really "chuffed" to have yet another visitor to our feeding station.

[Cazzer]

Yesterday a fieldfare arrived in my garden for the first time and today it was still there plus another and a redwing So at the feeders this morning were a male woodpecker, 2 red squirrels, a dunnock, 4 robins, tits galore and the new birds. A real joy. One of the fieldfares appears to be a juvenile???? is that likely?

[Ollie]

Yeah, just had a Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush in the garden. both firsts for my garden. Been putting out loads of apples.

[LynM]

I have exactly the same situation here, ksg. On Thursday there was a flock in a neighbour's tree, they were there again on Friday and the whole lot descended on my front garden that morning. I thought they had all gone, but in the afternoon there was one. He/she's been back all day yesterday and today, repelling everything in sight including my Blackbirds and the Pied Wagtail who was becoming a bully himself! Fortunately, the back garden is FF free and the other birds are eating there.

Here he is demolishing a cheap and cheerful (and rather hard!) pear.

[SuzieandFlo]

I've just had a Fieldfare in the garden for about the last hour. First time I've ever seen one too so I'm well chuffed . It spent more time chasing everything else away than it did actually eating. I've been puting chopped apple out every day for the Song thrushes. I think I had a Mistle thrush today too , in addition to my regular Song thrushes .
I've put an apple, cut in half, out for them now since they keep coming looking for it .