On the 3rd of March Colin and Trish Banks wrote:
I wonder if you could help us identify what we think is a very young bird who’s taken up residence (sad to say we’re not great at identifying)? We’d love to know what he/she is. We have put food out for him to try and help him in this terrible weather. Sorry, not great images! Guessing juvenile as quite fluffy. Head is grey running down onto his back, ruddy brown breast with a lot of speckles underneath down to a white tummy. White ‘stripe’ where wing meets body. He/she is bigger than a blackbird (has been chasing a female blackbird off) maybe a juvenile thrush of some description? Prefers apples to bird seed/suet! Appears to be on his own and is not flying off and coming back, just pottering around the same area.
Rick Replies:
It’s a Fieldfare and many gardens have had one or more this week ( we had 8 yesterday raiding the very last Holly berries!). He might look forlorn but they can cope better than many and now the REAL cold has gone it’s doubtful you’ll see him again til the next cold snap. They love fruit and berries, particularly windfall apples and luckily I had stored cookers from last autumn so I crushed some up on the lawn and they hoovered it up.
Lovely birds I’m sure you’ll agree. Thanks for your pics.