Birding in November 2010

Our local charm of goldfinches continue to visit our bird feeders in increasing numbers, we are supplementing sunflower hearts and nyjer seeds with thistle and teasel heads from our garden. When the teasel’s seed heads are finally exhausted, we fill them with nyjer seeds.

Teasel is a tough plant with long spines protecting its seeds, and for goldfinches its peculiar attributes literally separate the boys from the girls. Male goldfinches have slightly longer bills than females and can reach the seeds of teasel directly, whereas females have to bend back the spines to force and probe their way in, hard work that they seem reluctant to tackle as a consequence the females go for thistles instead. It is interesting to note that the goldfinch’s scientific name, carduelis, means 'of the thistle'. because of its small size, strong legs and light weight the goldfinch can cope with whatever acrobatics are necessary to keep feeding; it is as efficient hanging upside down as it is perched normally, and it can face upwards or downwards whatever the need dictates. We delight in watching their antics as well as listening to their distinctive tinkling calls.

This month and throughout the winter all birds will start to use up their stores of food very quickly, turning it into energy to keep warm there are two critical times of day for them. Last thing at night they need to eat enough food to keep them going until dawn. First thing in the morning they must find food quickly as their reserves will have all been used up. Julie or I try to ensure that there is some food available at these two important times if we are unable able to meet this criteria, we go for first thing which is probably the best time.

Many birds that visit our garden are creatures of habit and make regular visits once they know there is food. However when the weather is really bad a wasted journey to an empty bird table will make life even harder for them.

Winter visitors are now arriving thrushes from the north, redwings and fieldfares. They will slowly spread through the whole country in the fields and hedgerows. If you see what looks like two or three song thrushes sitting in a treetop just now, they are not very likely to be song thrushes. They will almost certainly be redwings.
The redwings are like small, dark song thrushes, but there is a red flash from under their wings when they fly, they also have a creamy stripe over their eyes. They are often first heard at night, a long thin call note comes down from the dark sky, and their silhouettes may even be seen against the moon. In the daylight, when they are alarmed, they fly off with a crazy, erratic flight.

Fieldfares are robust birds, more like a Mistel Thrush. You will often hear them before you see them: there is an outburst of machinegun like "chak-chak-chak" sounds in the air and suddenly you should see the fieldfares coming from all across the sky, before they settle down onto a ploughed field. There they will stand upright, with a noticeable bluish grey head and chestnut back. When they go up, they show a grey rump.

You never know quite when you will see them especially if you walk on the footpaths around Weston. Both species feed more in the open fields when they arrive, but as soon as the ground gets harder, they will move into the holly trees and hawthorns and gorge on the crimson berries. For both these species, the massive crop of holly and hawthorn berries this year will help them through the winter.

CDH