Thrushes
Medium sized passerines. Generally widespread and common. They are often seen foraging on permanent grassland, standing tall. All, especially the migrant species, can often be found in winter stripping late fruit. In harsh times they will sit for long periods stripping rowan, hawthorn and other berries, or pecking at unpicked apples. The Ring Ouzel being the exception, as they are summer visitors.
Blackbird - One of our Top 10 garden birds. Common and widespread. They are one of the earliest songsters of Spring. More annoyingly to some they are probably the earliest risers too. Which can be very early indeed by May/June.
Female
Premature fledgling. Found it's way into our hen pen but sadly didn't survive the night.
Fieldfare - Migrate here for the Winter, from Scandinavia, often in very large flocks. Similar size to Mistle Thrush. You often see them in a mixed flock with Redwing. Usually on/around berry bushes. I always look forward to seeing them return here in the UK in Autumn. The harsher the weather the easier they are too get close too.
Mistle Thrush - Year round residents. Similar to Song Thrushes but paler and larger. Usually seen in small groups on common grassland. Parks and cemeteries are a favourite, especially if they are bordered by conifers.
Redwing - Migrate here for the Winter, often in very large flocks. Similar in size to the Song Thrush. The red flush under the wing and large cream stripe above the eye make them fairly easy to identify. They love to raid our rowan trees, hawthorn bushes and suchlike, for the berries. They arrive and depart at roughly the same time as fieldfares. Often along with, I suspect.
Ring Ouzel - These are summer migrants to us and reducing in number. An upland moorland specialist. Not a bird most will encounter in their normal daily lives. The males are striking being black, similar to a Blackbird, with a very obvious white band across their breast. A difficult, shy bird but made easier to find by a distinctive song and call.
Adult male on Cairngorm in Apr. Juvenile at Dungeness in Oct.
Robin - Recently reclassified as a member of the Flycatchers
Song Thrush - Not so long ago a common garden bird. They have noticeably declined in number over the last 30 years or so. More often encountered around woodland fringes. Males can be heard from a long distance belting out their song, from a tree top in spring. Other than that they are usually found on the ground.
