Fieldfare down South

Question

I live on the Isle of Wight and have been putting food out for birds in my garden for years. Yesterday I was visited by about 15 fieldfare which took soft fruit and suet-feed. I've never seen any before. Is this a result of the bad weather driving them further south? 
 Davewight

TeeJay · Answer

Hi Dave 
 I'm sure you are right. With the whole country blanketed in snow and very low temperatures the fieldfares are being forced further and further afield. 
 They arrived in my garden (Berkshire) just before Christmas when the first bad weather struck. I counted about 25 in the trees at the end of my garden. When there was a thaw they all disappeared presumably back to open countryside which is their normal habitat. All except one who stayed because he has his own personal crab apple larder. 
 I notice that this morning after yesterday's blizzard they are around again although they are not coming down to feed. 
 I didn't know that they would eat suet pellets. Must give it atry. 
 Are you snow free in the IOW cos if so I'm thinking of joining the fieldfares?

davewight · Answer

Ladies/Gents 
 Thanks for all your replies. No we're not snow-free and it's very cold. Would you believe that today there were dozens of fieldfares in the trees near my house, although only a handful came into the garden. We're actually only 50 mtrs from the coast so it's possibly their last stop before the continent! 
 Very impressed to have got so much interest in my first posting on the forum. Thanks a lot. 
 Davewight

Karen Howard · Answer

I live in bournemouth and i have been feeding birds for a few years. I have my usual customers come every morning however, i have noticed that a few fieldfares have recently come into my garden and whilst they are very beautiful birds: BEWARE. These are very aggressive birds and are chasing off my regular garden birds.

Helhfj · Answer

Sharing your excitement! I've just seen 2 fieldfares in my back garden and I'm in Northwest England. Was amazed, but googled images to check and they were definitely fieldfares. We've had lots of snow & permanent freezing temperatures since Tuesday, but they appeared to be after water, rather than food. One was sat on the birdbath right outside my livingroom window for some time, gave me chance to have a really good look; beautiful :O)

Knitter, cardmaker and garden birdwatcher

Joanne9393 · Answer

The excitement is growing - this afternoon no fewer than four fieldfares perched on our cherry tree - but that blackbird scared all but one away. That one remaining was very persistent, but the blackbird was more so, and so the last fieldfare eventually followed his mates!

Woodpecker · Answer

I live in a Cambridgeshire village and today at one point had about 25 fieldfare around my cherry tree picking the fruit and eating the apples I put out for the blackbirds. I was thrilled. I will put more apples out tomorrow . I have bananas in my friut bowl. I wonder if they will eat them too?

whirly · Answer

Hi 
 theres another thread on here - started on oct - about fieldfares 
 https://www.rspb.org.uk/community/forums/p/5197/45982.aspx 
 we have a flock feeding on our 'false cherry' tree which is laden with berries - at the moment . 
 there must be about 50 around here 
 and I saw more than that in gosport - which is quite built up - yesterday... 
 Sue

barbarablacksheep · Answer

davewight said: 
 I live on the Isle of Wight and have been putting food out for birds in my garden for years. Yesterday I was visited by about 15 fieldfare which took soft fruit and suet-feed. I've never seen any before. Is this a result of the bad weather driving them further south? 
 Davewight 
 
 We live in South Dorset and have had a lone Fieldfayre in our garden for a couple of days now. It is pecking at itself on the windows of the cars, a bit lonssome maybe? and tucking into apples left out for the birds. Not seen it at the fat balls yet! 
 Barbarablacksheep