Fieldfare ( Turdus pilaris )

Winter thrushes ( Fieldfare and Redwing ) have been few and far between so far this year.  I have only just started to see them locally.  When I drew the curtains this morning there were four Blackbirds and this single Fieldfare feasting on the fallen crab apples that had been left just for that reason.

Naturally I grabbed the camera and took some shots, before calling Clickychick so she could get some.

The number and time of arrival of winter thrushes depends on the weather and berry crop in Scandinavia.  Reports from all over the county suggest things in Scandinavia must be reasonable as arrivals have so far been few in number and later than usual.  A few pairs, literally only two or three pairs , stay and breed/attempt to breed each year.  With climate change a permanent population gets less and less likely.