Redwings & Fieldfares eating Cotoneaster berries

I had been observing some fieldfares in a nearby tree with my telescope and wondering where they were feeding. The nearby crab apple tree was now bare so they must have found something else.

I then discovered that they were feeding along with some redwings on a cotoneaster bush in a neighbours garden. I shall have to plant a cotoneaster in our garden. There’s nothing quite like a neighbour’s house as a local wildlife hide – warm and lots of tea and biscuits.

The rate the fieldfares and redwings are going through this bush there won’t be any berries left for the waxwings when the eventually turn up.

Redwing berry feast

Redwing berry feast,
originally uploaded by martinrstone.

There we were chatting away on our daily walk around the block. This time were accompanied by my daughter. We were pointing out all the wildlife as we strolled then she spotted what she thought was a thrush. On closer inspection it was a flock of visiting redwings who had just popped over for a quick berry feast.

Fortunately my daughter had her camera with her so she was able to capture this perfect spotters pose by this obliging redwing. This is the first year we have spotted redwings in our neighbourhood. We’ll have to keep an eye out for some waxwings now.