I've been waiting for the Redwings and Fieldfares to arrive in numbers

The start of the winter months - November and December - don't usually give great encouragement when it comes to nature watching. The days are short, the light is often poor, the weather can be wet and windy and as far as the Welcombe Hills is concerned the mud makes some areas un-walkable. 

I've been waiting for the Redwings and Fieldfares to arrive from Scandinavia. Like so many migrating birds they are remarkable in making the arduous journey to escape the harsh winter to the relatively moderate UK climate. They arrive from October onwards and may stay as late as the following March. Similar to our own native Thrush, they are a gregarious birds and voracious feeders, stripping the hawthorns and blackthorns of their berries. The Welcombe Hills are great for spotting them but it is difficult to get close. Like other flocking birds they are noisy when feeding but difficult to see until they sense your approach. Then suddenly the sky will be full of birds for a few seconds until they land in trees a little further away.

When there is no more food to be had in the Hills they will come to the gardens and parks. We've a cotoneaster in the front garden which fruits well. The Redwings and Fieldfares will strip it within a couple of days and then move on.

Much as I love these beautiful birds and welcome their arrival, I do feel a bit sorry for the poor native Blackbird and Thrush whose larders get plundered by these invaders.

Here's a short video clip,of these birds in our front garden a couple of years ago. They usually start feeding from the top of the trees and work their way down. That's why the tree looks strange with no berries at the top but the branches towards the bottom fully laden.