Winter thrushes

Redwing : Length 21cm. Wingspan 33-35cm. Weight 50-75g. Their diet is mostly worms and berries, their favourite being hawthorn and rowan berries.

Fieldfare : Length 25cm. Wingspan 39-42cm. Weight 80-130g. Their diet is insects, worms and berries.

Song Thrush: Length 23cm. Wingspan 33-36cm. Weight 65-100g. Their diet is worms, snails and fruit.

Blackbird: Length 24-25cm.Wingspan 34-38.5cm . Weight 80-100g. Their diet is insects, earthworms, fruit and berries.

Ring Ouzel: Length 23–24 cm. Weighing 90–138 g. Their diet is mainly insects and earthworms, some small vertebrates, and a wide range of fruit.

It’s not so easy trying to photograph redwing or fieldfare through the dense tangle of twigs. If they are still in their shy phase when they first arrive, you either have to be lucky or wait until they forget you are there. It also helps to be out before anyone else when the berry bearing trees are near a pathway. I wasn’t lucky on the first couple of outings, but it just got better and better…..

In flight images are always hard with smaller birds but its always great fun trying so keep practicing.

My first sighting of a Ring Ouzel has been at RSPB Ham Wall. This male has been on the reserve for a few days, is showing itself very well and is most definitely attracting audiences. It is spending its time as you would expect, grubbing around leaf litter for insects and also up in bushes taking berries. I have been fortunate enough to see it twice and hope to see it again tomorrow morning.