Redwing Invasion!

[AMH]

Wow!! I've never seen redwings in my garden (in Newquay, Cornwall) before but today it was visited by at least 30 (I lost count). It was lovely to watch them through my window. We had recently cut several large branches off two trees and laid them on the lawn and lots of smaller branches were laid on top. This created lots of space underneath which was free of snow and the birds were able to forage for worms - fabulous to watch.

I think we might leave that pile of branches just for another week.

[jaykay]

Wow, well done, until yesterday I hadn't seen one Redwing but did manage to amend that today when I was told of a flock of them at my fathers! needless to say I jumped in the car and headed off over there to take a peek the site is filling up nicely with sightings of redwings and fieldfares so the weather must be thanked for something!

Jeanette

[steviebabes]

Yeah, Derby seems to be full of redwings and fieldfares at the moment - well at least my garden in Oakwood is ! As I type, there are around 32 redwings and 7 fieldfares in my garden (alongside 11 blackbirds) all feeding on the fruit from my malus tree (Malus floribunda). They've been around for just over a week now and have nearly stripped the tree, so they're now feeding off the fallen fruit on the ground. I've never had these birds in my garden before so it's a real treat to see so many.

[buckaroo]

Wow, sounds like an amazing sight - any pics please?

[Merrow]

I'm just uploading a video to youtube of some of our ones -- in the clip you can make out 10 to 12 of them feeding and squabbling.

It might give you an idea of how many there are in our gardens round here, if there are over 10 trying to feed in such a small area

sorry it isn't a good quality video, I didn't want to get close and disturb them

YouTube - redwings feeding and fighting

[buckaroo]

Thanks and what a privelege to have so many in your garden. Remember seeing one on our school playing field many years ago but never since!!

[Merrow]

Oh, you're welcome Buckaroo - thank you!

We are trying to keep them fed by moving piles of leaves about, emptying the compost bins out onto the ground, emptying 'empty' plant pots etc, to try and give them some grubs that they wouldn't be able to access otherwise.

Our cats are being kept indoors as they are just picking them off

[buckaroo]

Was lucky enough to see 3 or 4 today in a rare tree near our esate! There was no doubting them, so pretty!

[Merrow]

They mostly seem to have moved on from here now

[AMH]

No snow, no frost, no Redwings. I guess they've all gone home to the fields/farms/hedgerows. I'm glad to have had so many guests during the icy weather - they were a fabulous sight.