Redwings And Red Berries

This year's abundance of berries, particularly on holly bushes, is providing a real feast for the birds. On New Years Day we took a walk into Scatterdells Woods and were almost immediately greeted by the chattering sound of masses of birds. At first we wondered if starlings had begun to roost there, but the sound was not quite right, not quite harsh enough. Fortunately Father Christmas had brought me a nice pair of compact binoculars this year, just right to slip in ones pocket, and these soon revealed the birds true identity: redwings, maybe 100 or more. We had obviously disturbed them from the nearby holly trees where they had been feasting and they had gathered in the tops of the oak and beech trees, noisily waiting for us to pass.
Redwings are smaller and darker than song thrushes with dull red patches under their wings and on their flanks, but the most noticeable feature is a pale stripe just above their eye. A few breed in the north of Scotland, but these birds were almost certainly migrants from Scandinavia, driven south by harsh weather. They often form mixed flocks with fieldfares and song thrushes but scanning them with my new binoculars this flock seemed to be exclusively redwings. Fieldfares are quite a bit bigger and rounder of body with pale grey heads and rumps, while song thrushes do not have the pale eye stripe, so although they are all thrushes they are all quite distinctive. Thrushes are quite methodical feeders and will work their way through berry bushes stripping each one clean in turn, if they are not disturbed.
When we got home from our walk a small group, about twenty or so had landed in one of our cotoneasters and were gobbling up the berries at some speed. The pugnacious little robin that lives by the bird table had other ideas about this mass invasion of its territory and was trying to drive off the redwings even though they are twice its size! The robin had an unexpected ally in his battle when our cat arrived to see what the commotion was all about. This was too much for the cautious redwings: they moved off for a more peaceful meal elsewhere.
Another member of the thrush clan, the missel thrush, has started singing to mark his territory and attract a mate. They choose the tallest trees as a song post and are not bothered by windy conditions, earning themselves the country name "storm cocks". They are the earliest to nest and are usually heard at this time but I have been surprised to hear four different great spotted woodpeckers drumming early in the mornings since New Years Day. This is one of my favourite sounds of spring and the snowdrops are not even out yet! Wendy Bathurst