Loads of Redwings and Blackbirds at Elton last few mornings
Estimated about 1000 Redwing this morning
Fieldfare numbers are down though
Craig Higson said
Wed Oct 28 11:12 PM, 2020
Andy Bissitt wrote:
There is such a huge crop of berries this year that they are probably happy to stay where they first arrived for the time being
That's a good point. Also, the berries in the hedges on my patch have been largely decimated by resident Blackbirds and squirrels so not a huge amount to draw birds in I guess.
Andy Bissitt said
Wed Oct 28 9:55 PM, 2020
There is such a huge crop of berries this year that they are probably happy to stay where they first arrived for the time being - that's if they have left Scandinavia in their usual numbers. With the climate warming, the growing season is extended, so in all likelihood thrushes will be able to over-Winter on the Continent. I wonder if there are any figures that show whether this is happening? Just to come back to your enquiry Craig, I've noticed blackbirds in greater numbers locally this Autumn, but song thrushes haven't showed up yet. It could be a rather birdless Winter to come if it stays mild.
Doc Brewster said
Wed Oct 28 9:50 PM, 2020
I've had both at my patch Newchurch Common, Craig. Redwings are there on every visit now so maybe just a local thing. I also seem to have more Blackbirds too. Plus I've just this evening read an article by my old Uni buddy Keith Clarkson about winter thrush arrival in Yorkshire. They had a phenomenal 17,100 Redwings arrive on Oct12th and then an unbelievable day on Oct 13th with counts of 32,080 Redwings, 4,494 Fieldfares, 14 Ring Ouzels and a variety of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes. This is the biggest single day count they have ever witnessed. They also report a movement of 255,676 Redwings moving in our general direction over one site in the Netherlands So keep watching, this could be one of our biggest years ever for winter thrushes, they are on their way
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 28th of October 2020 09:51:12 PM
Craig Higson said
Wed Oct 28 12:06 AM, 2020
Is it just me or is their a dearth of Redwings and Fieldfares so far this year? I have had the odd small flock of Redwings over but none yet in the local hedgerows and I have not had a single Fieldfare so far. Usually by this time I would be seeing large flocks of each. Similarly the local Blackbird population does not seem to have been swelled by the continental birds joining them but I have seen no evidence of these either.
Estimated about 1000 Redwing this morning
Fieldfare numbers are down though
That's a good point. Also, the berries in the hedges on my patch have been largely decimated by resident Blackbirds and squirrels so not a huge amount to draw birds in I guess.
There is such a huge crop of berries this year that they are probably happy to stay where they first arrived for the time being - that's if they have left Scandinavia in their usual numbers. With the climate warming, the growing season is extended, so in all likelihood thrushes will be able to over-Winter on the Continent. I wonder if there are any figures that show whether this is happening? Just to come back to your enquiry Craig, I've noticed blackbirds in greater numbers locally this Autumn, but song thrushes haven't showed up yet. It could be a rather birdless Winter to come if it stays mild.
I've had both at my patch Newchurch Common, Craig. Redwings are there on every visit now so maybe just a local thing. I also seem to have more Blackbirds too. Plus I've just this evening read an article by my old Uni buddy Keith Clarkson about winter thrush arrival in Yorkshire. They had a phenomenal 17,100 Redwings arrive on Oct12th and then an unbelievable day on Oct 13th with counts of 32,080 Redwings, 4,494 Fieldfares, 14 Ring Ouzels and a variety of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes. This is the biggest single day count they have ever witnessed. They also report a movement of 255,676 Redwings moving in our general direction over one site in the Netherlands
So keep watching, this could be one of our biggest years ever for winter thrushes, they are on their way 
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 28th of October 2020 09:51:12 PM