Having enjoyed warmer than average temperatures through most
of December and January, the freezing temperatures, ice and snow at the start
of February has had visitors to the Nature Reserve and local residents seeing red!
– Redwings that is. It is safe to say that we have received more calls asking
for help identifying these beautiful winter thrushes in the last couple of
weeks than any other wildlife related enquiry.
The Redwing is the UK’s smallest thrush and is arguably
the most attractive. They get their name form the orange-red flank patches (under
the wing) which can clearly be seen in flight. A broad creamy white eye-stripe
makes them easily distinguishable from our other resident and migrant thrushes
- even so, they can often catch you off guard when they appear in your garden
for the first time.
Despite their small size, around 650,000 individuals make
their way to the UK from
their breeding grounds in southern Scandinavia.
Migrating through the night they begin to arrive in September - having
completed a non-stop journey of around 1,000 miles. Numbers peak through
October and November although they often go un-noticed as they roam the
countryside feeding in fields and hedgerows.
It is only in the coldest winters, when snow covers the ground
that you will start to see these usually shy birds appearing in parks and
gardens. Closer to home, berry producing bushes and trees such as Rowans,
Hawthorns and Cotoneasters provide the Redwings with a welcome supply of food
to see them through these harsh times.
As the winter progresses, Redwings often join large feeding
flocks with other thrushes including their larger Scandinavian cousin, the
Fieldfare. Like the Redwing, this colourful thrush only visits the UK for the
winter. The Fieldfare’s size (similar to our native Mistle Thrush) and their
striking pattern of grey body, speckled breast, chestnut brown wings and dark
tail make them unmistakable. Fieldfares can also be very vocal in flight, so if
you hear a chuckling sound overhead as you stroll around the Nature Reserve
it’s more than likely a flock of Fieldfares nearby.
If you would like to encourage winter thrushes into your
garden, why not try leaving apples or sultanas on the lawn during the cold
weather. Specially formulated ‘Song Bird’ seed mixes for ground feeding birds are
available to buy from the Attenborough Nature Centre; these can be left on the
lawn or placed on a flat bird table. If you prefer a more natural approach,
planting native trees such as Rowan and Hawthorn will provide a plentiful
supply of food through the autumn and winter.
