Fieldfares already??

[philpye]

Hi
I'm on the outskirts of Liverpool and on Saturday evening I've seen what appeared to be a flock of around a dozen fieldfares feeding on the berries of a
Rowan tree. At first I thought they were Mistle thrushes but they really did
look like fieldfares. I know it's very early for them in the UK but is it
possible they were?
Thanks
Phil

[faz]

hello and welcome to WAB

they do start arriving in august but they wont peak untill end of october /november some straglers will still be here as late as may and we do have a few resident birds the first recording of a field fare breeding was in the lates 60,s on the orkney,s

[aeshna5]

I'd be very surprised if they were Fieldfares this early- they don't usually start arriving until October. Without a photo can't be certain, but I suspect a post-breeding flock of Mistle Thrushes.

[Dogghound]

I had 29 mistle thrush go over today, I agree they sounds more like post breeding mistle thrush.

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Phil, and welcome to WAB!

Yes, MTs for me too. Don't start mentioning FFs, or even that A or W-word until the end of September please!

Take care,

Jason

[faz]

hmmm i beg to differ

[solus]

No mention yet of Fieldfares on Birdguides anywhere in the UK - too early in my opinion. I'd go for Mistle Thrushes too.

[burhinus]

Considering where they come from, Fieldfare arrive firstly on the east coast. Singles usually arrive in September in Lincs, Yorks or Norfolk, but you would be hard pushed to have a flock. To have a flock in Liverpool is more than unlikely.

Mistle Thrush are renowned for flocking at this time of year and anything up to 30 is quite possible. Like my other learned friends I would say you had a flock of Mistle Thrush.

burhinus

[JoulesH]

I've been through this thought process too - I've spotted a flock of a dozen or so thrushes flying up off our grassland at a distance several times in the last couple of weeks - never had by bins with me but due to time of year and absence of 'chak chak chak' had concluded mistle thrushes.

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

Last year during that really cold winter we had a load of fieldfares arrive for the first time in our garden, talk about being agressive and bullies lol. They chased off anything that came within range, they would even protect an area where i threw down sultanas and apples even if they wern't feeding.