Fieldfare & Mistle Thrush

A glorious chacking sound, and a flurry of busyness indicate that the nomads of the north, “felties”, have arrived. Large flocks of fieldfares (right) descend each winter to gourmandise on rose hips, cotoneaster and holly berries. Often accompanied by shyer redwings, as well as noisy mistle thrushes (below) with their football rattle calls, they are welcome visitors and relish fruit from dozens of assorted crab apples I have planted around the farm. During the latter part of last winter, these hungry congregations of winter thrushes became regular visitors.