Feeling Christmassy!

Although we get Fieldfares flying over the cemetery every Autumn, and even get some landing in the cemetery trees some winters, I don't think we've ever had a Fieldfare in the garden before. Redwings do come in after snowfalls now-and-again, but never a Fieldfare until yesterday. There were also plenty of Blackbirds. Our Pyracanthus berries were suddenly ripe, and the birds knew it. I was secretly hoping for a Waxwing, but a Fieldfare isn't a bad start. I drew the line at 4 Woodpigeons, and once I was certain the Fieldfare had gone, I chased off the big fat pigeons.

In the afternoon I drove round our premier local owl location, but even though the afternoon was perfect there weren't any Owls. However, when I checked a flock of 35 drab little birds on telegraph wires, I was gob-smacked to discover that they were all Corn Buntings. I've seen 1 or 2 breeding birds in the area most summers, but never seen anything like approaching that number there before - in fact I don't remember ever seeing any Corn Buntings at that bleak location in the winter! I don't think it was an accident that they were perched directly over some set-aside!

Fieldfare (& Blackbird)

Corn Bunting