Churchyard yew provides berry bonanza for autumn migrants

THE long-lived yew tree is traditionally associated with churchyards – and according to the Woodland Trust at least 500 churchyards in England contain yew trees older than the buildings themselves.

Ten yew trees in Britain are even believed to predate the 10th century.

The yew tree in the church next to my west Dartmoor house might not span centuries, but it is a decent size and at this time of year an absolute magnet for birds. All parts of the tree are poisonous to humans, and the berries should be avoided at all costs. But to thrushes in particular, the red fruits are irresistible.

Yesterday I peered out of my back window to see the tree buzzing with birds – blackbirds, greenfinches, mistle thrushes, song thrushes and, best of all, the first redwings of autumn.

In fact the redwings vastly outnumbered every other species gorging on the yew bounty.

Considering they have flown in from Scandinavia, northern Europe or perhaps even Iceland, they deserve to eat their fill. And hopefully they will soon be joined by fieldfares, another member of the thrush family that roams our countryside during the colder months before heading back north to breed in the spring.

The rusty red feathering on the flanks of a redwing, which gives it its name, may not be easy to spot when they fold their wings, though in bright sunshine it was pretty clear. What stands out more is their very light eyebrow, which shows up well against their generally dark head.

The village church was built in the mid-1800s and I have no idea when the yew tree was planted, but I’m grateful to those who did, as the towering branches now provide a berry bonanza much appreciated by the birds – and an autumn spectacle for neighbouring birdwatchers.