Dekers Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 I'm not the best at birds, particularly not the ones I can't shoot, help me out please, any idea what this is, first glance I thought it was a sparrow but its huge compared to those and different colours from what I can see. No doubt a winter coat on it but still big. Sorry about the picture quality, taken through a window with my cheap phone Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaymo Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 That’s easy —- it’s ‘Cold’, anyone can see that :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lampwick Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Fieldfare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 It’s a Fieldfare as above. If it eats any of those Skimmia Japonica berries it will be in trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Sutton Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 44 minutes ago, Dekers said: I'm not the best at birds, particularly not the ones I can't shoot, help me out please, any idea what this is, first glance I thought it was a sparrow but its huge compared to those and different colours from what I can see. No doubt a winter coat on it but still big. Sorry about the picture quality, taken through a window with my cheap phone Thanks! Kind of speaks volumes coming from a self proclaimed shooting/countryman.... What is it???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Yep Fieldfare. I leave the hedge along the side of my wood with the tops uncut and have been for twenty or more years. The hawthorns therefore still flower and produce berries which these and the Redwings pounce on. More hedges should be cut that way for that reason. The photo shows the roadside hedge, compared to the atrocity of my neighbours across the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 A 4 minutes ago, Walker570 said: Yep Fieldfare. I leave the hedge along the side of my wood with the tops uncut and have been for twenty or more years. The hawthorns therefore still flower and produce berries which these and the Redwings pounce on. More hedges should be cut that way for that reason. The photo shows the roadside hedge, compared to the atrocity of my neighbours across the road. Good on you walker ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyboy1950 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 +1 with Fieldfare About 6 years ago (I think) when we had a prolonged cold spell with snow, we had about 30 of them flock to a yew tree at the bottom of the garden, it had a dog rose growing up through it and the rose hips were still on it. They must have been very hungry to have come into the city looking for food. They stayed around for two days stripping the hips. Snowing again now, just off to put some water out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 15 minutes ago, Christian Sutton said: Kind of speaks volumes coming from a self proclaimed shooting/countryman.... What is it???? Just because you are a shooting / countryman doesn't mean you are expected to know all the different birds that you come across , I agree , all the birds on the quarry list would be a good start , having said that , with me living in Norfolk I have never seen any moorland game in the wild . I pass 100s of wading birds and wildfowl every day of my life while walking around the estuary wall with my dog and binoculars , and yes I do know most of the species but sometimes through light conditions and young birds not being in full plumage it is not always possible to get it right , and I dare say most members on the forum would have the same trouble in identifying all the birds I see most days of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbob Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Fieldfare be after the berries usually in flocks and eating all the hawthorn berries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 19 minutes ago, marsh man said: Just because you are a shooting / countryman doesn't mean you are expected to know all the different birds that you come across , I agree , all the birds on the quarry list would be a good start , having said that , with me living in Norfolk I have never seen any moorland game in the wild . I pass 100s of wading birds and wildfowl every day of my life while walking around the estuary wall with my dog and binoculars , and yes I do know most of the species but sometimes through light conditions and young birds not being in full plumage it is not always possible to get it right , and I dare say most members on the forum would have the same trouble in identifying all the birds I see most days of the week. I agree! I thought the comment a little harsh! We can't all know it all! Try identifying a grey hen from a red Grouse in flight, the first time you see one! But it ain't hard when you have seen a few! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yates Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 I had something like this on our garden feeders this morning but it had red markings at the side of it’s eyes. Do fieldfares have these markings too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 4 hours ago, JDog said: It’s a Fieldfare as above. If it eats any of those Skimmia Japonica berries it will be in trouble. Do birds ever eat poisonous berries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 4 minutes ago, yates said: I had something like this on our garden feeders this morning but it had red markings at the side of it’s eyes. Do fieldfares have these markings too? That may have been a Redwing. Not quite a red stripe more like brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 3 minutes ago, yates said: I had something like this on our garden feeders this morning but it had red markings at the side of it’s eyes. Do fieldfares have these markings too? A Redwing. Another member of the thrush family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 1 minute ago, Mice! said: Do birds ever eat poisonous berries? Some do and some have more tolerance to poison than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, Christian Sutton said: Kind of speaks volumes coming from a self proclaimed shooting/countryman.... What is it???? I'm a shooter, who loves the country side, I am not, and never have been a self proclaimed countryman, I made it clear I don't know much about birds I can't shoot, what is your issue?! 4 hours ago, JDog said: It’s a Fieldfare as above. If it eats any of those Skimmia Japonica berries it will be in trouble. Well, you're ahead of me all round there, I didn't know the bird and I didn't know the name of the plant (even though its my garden) and yes, it was busy eating the berries! Edited March 1, 2018 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Thanks to everyone for the responses, to be honest I've never even heard of a Fieldfare, and never even seen one until this to the best of my knowledge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Sutton Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 No issues deckerboy.. I'll leave it there because I sense that my mocking post has irritated you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 4 minutes ago, Christian Sutton said: No issues deckerboy.. I'll leave it there because I sense that my mocking post has irritated you It did, but perhaps I missed something. ATB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushandpull Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 When I was very young they were called Felts. We ate them. They are still on the quarry list in France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 1 minute ago, Pushandpull said: When I was very young they were called Felts. We ate them. They are still on the quarry list in France. Been an education for me this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 you probably have seen them and thought it was a thrush, nice when you see a flock of them going along a hedgerow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie&bezza Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) Sorry for jumping on this thread but what this one? Got a little tuft on its head. Sorry if too poor a pic Edited March 1, 2018 by winnie&bezza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Quote Looks like a Wagtail in poor condition to me, but its pretty obvious I'm no expert, so hopefully someone will come along soon and enlighten both of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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