Fieldfare

[corylus]

Spotted a solitary fieldfare eating our holly berries this morning, it's the only one I've seen here this autumn, we usually get huge flocks of them and redwings in the fields for a few days in October, this is in Yorkshire. Has anybody else seen any passing flocks of these birds?

[boxtops]

I haven't seen any this year in Kent, but they normally fly over the marsh further south from here. Lovely birds - I remember having a flock in my garden in Birmingham one year.

[carrust]

Haven't seen many fieldfares as yet, got loads of redwings flying over and int local park.

[razza]

Not seen any,fieldfares,redwings,waxwings,bramblings etc yet,but they will be here shortly.

[carrust]

Looking at my local bird group's website, there seems to be a dearth of fieldfares this year. I counted over 60 redwings flying over my allotment this afternoon though.

[ladybirder]

Sadly, both Redwing and Fieldfare have Red status now on the RSPB website.

[Hypognosis]

Sometime last year, I thought I heard one of the weather forecasters (perhaps within an Autumnwatch context) say that there had been a disastrous berry crop in Scandinavia, following on from the misplaced jetstream and wierd summer weather in 2012.

I gather that Blackbirds last barely 2 years, is it similar for fieldfare/redwing?

[ladybirder]

Blackbirds have an average life expectancy of 3.4 years and the oldest recorded was 20 years and 3 months when it died. Fieldfare have an average life expectancy of only 2 years and Redwing 2.3. Also Robins and Greenfinches average 2 years. Starlings do a bit better at 2-3 years with the Magpie managing 4-6. And the very successful Crow averages 7-8 years but can live to between 15 and 20.
So many birds lose their lives during the first year and that's a major factor in bringing down the average for our lovely feathered friends.

[Hypognosis]

Thanks, Ladybirder.

Sorry for the delayed response. I only found your reply while trying to trace another thread I'd posted in.

Anyway, I'm wondering whether we see them migrate here because, in a good berry year they end up with slight overpopulation and some are forced to forage further afield because all other (Scandinavian) territories are held by established pairs, or if it's because we see them however good/bad the crop is because the entire berry crop gets eaten and the whole population has to up sticks and spread all over Europe, in search of their favourite food.

If the latter case applies, the poor berry crop in the breeding area obviously means that they'll be mere handfuls of field observations as the population is scattered over a huge area.