Fieldfare in our garden

Sandie&Russ · #1 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 03:02 PM

I am sure we have a flock of fieldfare visiting the last few days. Never seen them in our garden before & had to do quite a bit of research to find out what they are. Our garden backs onto to shrubland & then open fields & we have a tree (can't recall the name) which is heavy with red berries so this is the attraction.

AndrewA123 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 03:06 PM

Hello and Welcome to WAB.

We too have had them in and around the garden this past weekend. Wonderful looking bird and always a pleasure to see.

Enjoy your new found visitors, and enjoy the forum

rossy · #3 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 03:19 PM

yes welcome to the forum sandie&russ, if you give any kind of discription, the people on here will id them for you. do they look like a mistle thrush, but have grey heads, similar in size as the mistle thrush.rossy.

Kayleigh · #4 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 03:59 PM

Hi and welcome..
Did they look like this..
These are feeding on the berries of a Cotoneaster Frigidus Cornubia Evergreen Shrub. They seem to love them about 100 birds have been stripping this one for a couple of days now all the berries are nearly all gone.

Wild-Woman · #5 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 04:07 PM

There seems to me to be a particulary high number of fieldfares this year. I'm seeing flocks in the hundreds locally and further out. My son had a dozen in his garden at the weekend. Today in south Essex, there were many hundreds.

Bellfamily · #6 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 05:29 PM

I bought some eating apples, cut them up and put them out in the garden and within 15 minutes had about 7 Redwings and 4 Fieldfares, not seen them in my garden before (had to get my book out to ID them) so it was quite exciting! The only thing is, I can see having to keep up buying apples now...shhh, don't tell my hubby!

Sandie&Russ · #7 (**permalink**) 09-02-2012, 08:20 AM

Thank you Kayleigh for posting a photo which shows it is fieldfare in our garden & I think its a cotoneaster they are eating from. They seem to be mixing with the blackbirds without any problem. We have put mealworms down but haven't yet seem them venture any nearer to our garden than the tree, probably enough to eat on there still.

Where do these birds live in our summer?

rossy · #8 (**permalink**) 09-02-2012, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandie&Russ

Thank you Kayleigh for posting a photo which shows it is fieldfare in our garden & I think its a cotoneaster they are eating from. They seem to be mixing with the blackbirds without any problem. We have put mealworms down but haven't yet seem them venture any nearer to our garden than the tree, probably enough to eat on there still.

Where do these birds live in our summer?

they are from scandanavia, and throw out any old apples or fruit eg sultanas, raisins you dont want, they love them. rossy.