As the nights begin to draw in and temperatures start to dip, it’s time to say ‘goodbye’ to summer and welcome the imminent arrival of the flocking ‘winter thrushes’

by Jack Clarke, Marketing and Communications Officer, Dorset Wildlife Trust

Autumn brings the first wave of migratory redwing and fieldfare to our shores as they leave the biting cold climates of Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia, travelling south in search of food to gorge on through the winter months.

Fieldfare
The fieldfare (pictured left) is a large, colourful member of the thrush family and can often be seen in large flocks across the UK during winter. Fieldfares feed on the seasonal berries provided by holly, hawthorn and dog rose in hedgerows, woodlands, gardens and parks. Their distinctive plumage of chestnut-brown back, an almost-yellow and black breast, black tail and pale grey head, paired with the ‘chacking’ sound they produce makes the fieldfare relatively easy to spot and identify.

Redwing
The smaller of the two ‘winter thrush’ species, the redwing (pictured right) resembles the perhaps more familiar song thrush, though distinguishable by a bold white eye stripe and red hues along the flanks, under their wing. Like the fieldfare, the redwing is a social bird, seen flying in large, often mixed flocks across the countryside in search of berries and worms. When flocking together, you will be able to identify the redwing by its flashes of ‘red’ under the wing and their characteristic high-pitched ‘tseep’ sound.

Where to spot them
Despite descending on our wintry countryside by the hundreds of thousands, many people don’t notice these annual visitors. Both the fieldfare and redwing are a common site throughout Dorset between autumn and spring, but your best bet at spotting these gregarious birds is in areas with open fields and hedgerows to feed from.
Dorset Wildlife Trust nature reserves such as Kingcombe Meadows, Happy Bottom and Fontmell Down offer ample habitat for the winter thrushes to feed. But if you would like to try and entice these birds into your back garden, try planting berry-rich trees and shrubs, or simply leave out apples for them to feast on before they return to their European breeding grounds in early spring.
To find information on nature reserves visit the Dorset Wildlife Trust website at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves.