I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the Fieldfare. Seen well, they are a patchwork of colours and textures, with russety back, grey rump and head, white belly, and sharp-chevroned chest on a bed of soft orange. This snowy spell I've had the opportunity to get to know them that bit better!

I normally never see them where I live in Sussex, but this last week, arriving on the coat-tails of the Redwings, I started to hear them over the house, their 'chack-ack' call redolent of winter walks in the fields where I grew up in the Midlands. Indeed, Fieldfare means 'traveller of the fields' from the old Anglo-Saxon.

Then they began to get more desperate, or bold, or both, coming down into my trees (left) and then to cotoneaster berries that the local Blackbirds clearly felt were not suitable for consumption. But they made no attempt to come down for any of the fat or seed I put out.

I went for the 'cut up apple on the snow' option and, ta da!, down they came (right, on my frozen pond). At one time there were 15 in the garden, and a riot ensued as one particularly bolshie Fieldfare tried to lay claim to three pieces of apple at one time, attempting to shoo off Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Redwings, cocking and fanning his black tail like a pumped up miniature Capercaillie.

Needless to say, he couldn't be in three places at once, and many a shy bird managed to nick a piece of apple while he wasn't watching, while he barely managed to take a break from his posturing to eat.

All in all, this past week has been quite a thrill, seeing all these unusual visitors finding such satisfaction in my garden. But of course what it really goes to show is how in weather like this, life is oh so tough for birds, and us garden-owners can actaully make a difference.

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  • during the very snowy weather we had at least two fieldfares in our garden, we have a very long garden with a lot of trees, we back onto field that have sheep in them. we have lived hear 30 years and have never seen them in the garden feeding before.

    lyn, chswick green, west midlands

  • Just to echo what others have said - I live in Wells, Somerset, and over Christmas time and the New Year our cotoneaster tree was covered with dozens of redwings and fieldfares.  Wonderful sights!  We had wondered, earlier in the season - it was late December before they came, and yet the berries were sitting there ready and waiting all autumn.  They stripped the tree during the snowy period, and left with the snow.

    Sam Woodhouse

  • Two weeks ago there was a mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwings in my Parents garden in Stourbridge, West Midlands. The best view I've had of either, ever. Unfortunately at the end a Sparrowhawk had caught a Redwing but we had excellent views of him having lunch for a good hour. Typically I didn't have my camera.

  • We live in an urban area of Rotherham with no farmland within a radius of 3 mile  and then farmland is limited in comparison to the housing and industrial estates around. Yet we also had a couple of visits  from the odd fieldfare [during the snow] but our friends a few roads away had more visiting their garden during the same period. We have lived in this area for over forty years and this is a first for us.

  • Mary Reid

    I am in Paisley Renfrewshire. I have had red wings in the garden throughout the cold spell in January. However this morning there was a flock of 20-30 redwings and fieldfares in my large holly bush. They stripped all the remaining berries in the garden before moving on to the near by hill and roosting in an old crab apple tree.