Winter Thrushes

Berries must be harder to come by now as the Thrushes have started to come to the garden to feed on apples.
A single Mistle Thrush stole the show on Christmas eve with his stand and fight attitude of saving the precious apples from anything that dared get too near

although he did eat a little every now and again

the poor Redwings usually took the brunt of the aggression, but with a little percaverence did get to share

and voice their opinions

Fieldfare have now started to arrive in the garden, add the large numbers of Blackbirds the recipe for the remainder of the winter looks to be boiling up.

Garden highest count of 21 Redpoll on Boxing day and a brief showing for a day of a female Blackcap that flirted with the now resident male Blackcap

The winter vistors keep on coming...

This male Blackcap made a first ever appearance in the garden this week and has settled in so well that he has returned daily. This is one of the new breed  of over wintering birds that refuse to fly to the south of Europe.

The Redpoll numbers continue to rise with a garden hightest count of 17 very early one  morning, although they all seem to be Lesser Redpolls (image below) I may have had a Mealy Redpoll, unfortunatly no image to clarify its true ID.

The Greater Spotted Woodpeckers are now almost daily visitors, although 2 males appeared together this afternoon

even the Moorhen has made a few further visits

as has this Grey Heron who often sits atop of the neighbouring houses keeping watch over the estate

 add a superb sighting of a pair of Goldcrests, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail and huge numbers of finches its been a busy start to the winter.