UKH

Haven’t seen Fieldfares since spring, but they were back again yesterday at Loch Leven.

There were about a dozen birds flitting tree to tree feeding on berries. They mainly were flying near or with lots of Starlings which I understand is not uncommon, but I also noted a Redwing and a Mistle Thrush keeping very close by the Fieldfares.

A few photos.

Lots of small flocks of fieldfare sand redwings on this mornings dog walk. And a single Mistle thrush!  Saw a goldcrest on my garden feeder this morning, which is unusual. 

have also noticed this following a flock behaviour- following the food presumably?

also noticed a heron and a little egret hanging out in a field recently. the egret flew off as i cycled by and landed nearer the river, followed by the heron which landed nearby..

Late October, many years ago, I pulled off the A86 in Glen Spean and crashed out. Woke the next morning to find at roof window level a fruitful rowan under siege by a flock of fieldfares fuelling up for their journey south.

I reckon they will have a ‘safety by numbers’ thing going on as well. Herons and (little?) egrets have very different hunting methods and feed on different prey so don’t really compete. Little egrets appear to scuffle their feet to flush out very small prey items. Herons go big. Watched a purple heron catch and swallow a mole the other month!  

the egret's scuffling allows bigger fish to escape downstream for the waiting heron

When I researched online, it was mentioned as BC says for safety. I noted when the Starlings flew, the Fieldfare were flying with them, but when the Starlings stopped on a telephone wire, the Fieldfares just flew to nearby bushes.

With the lone Redwing and Mistle Thrush, I would think it was for safety too in this instance as they were following bush to bush but always one or two away from the Fieldfares.

In the first photo, the bird at the top right of centre was the “lookout” as it was the only one in the group that continuously turned it’s head as if looking for any potential trouble, whilst the other Fieldfares seemed rerlaxed.