A really nice day in the sunshine, and quite surprisingly warm and still.
Wonderful views of Redwings, Turdus iliacus (very probably the nominate race from Europe, iliacus), in the woods close to the Visitors' Centre. On the way back I got my best views, especially of the highly streaked face and auburn-ochre underwing stripe. They were feeding off the haws together with some noisy blackbirds. I could hear the Redwings doing their single note calling very musically. like a very tuneful "chack". The winter numbers rise to something like over two thirds of a million birds, but however numerous, I am always delighted to see them! That isn't just because there are only less than half a dozen breeding pairs in the UK, around Tomich by all accounts, but because they are such very nice birds, reminding me of the best winter times, including teenage birdwatching in the garden at 84, Bury Street, Ruislip.
They have a tendency to migrate at night, with a higher pitched flight call of a gentle whistle. Most of the birds that winter in England probably come from the Northern Palaearctic areas of Finland Eastwards into Russia and Siberia. There may be about 30 - 40 million birds in the Northern Palearctic overall, fluctuating according to the severity of winters and the temperature and rainfall in the breeding system, spread over about 10 million square kilometres. They breed in mixed coniferous (they avoid continuous conifer stands) or birch woodland or tundra, nesting in shrubs or on the ground. They generally have two broods, probably to reduce risk, and moult early to get away on migration as soon as possible, a possible adaptation to the Northern latitude of their breeding grounds. They are said to be more flexible about the siting of their relatively large nests (up to 0.5 kg) than most other thrush species, both as a species and as individuals, often changing their parameters of choice significantly for their second nests of the year (Khokhlova and Yakovleva, 2008).
Some of the birds from Fennoscandia that arrive in the UK are on their way through, and may end up in the Mediterranean or even North Africa. Some may migrate as much as 7,000 kilometres! It often seems strange to me that birds from north temperate Asia move largely Westward and only then South to over-winter, rather than directly South to Southern and Southeast Asia, as in this Birdlife map, but this may because of significant obstacles to a more direct route. birds appear to be very variable in their migrations, with ringing results seeming to indicate individuals often turning up in very different parts of Europe in different winters.
The Icelandic race, coburnii, overwinters in Scotland, Ireland (in particular), and the West coasts of France and Spain.
They are quite weather dependent, and often make "hard weather" movements to stay alive. They are more likely than Fieldfares to move out of open farmland into woods or gardens, splitting up rather more as they do so. They feed off berries such as haws, but also invertebrates, turning over leaves under trees for invertebrates and worms, rather like blackbirds. Holly berries may be taken later in the winter when they are easier to pick, and these are particularly available in Iberia, where over-wintering Redwings may rely on them in some particular areas. Good shrubs in gardens are Sorbus, Crataegus of course, Cotoneaster and Pyracantha. Leaving apples or other fruit out may also be tried, although this isn't mentioned by the BGW (Bird Garden Watch) article on Redwings (Birdtable 64, BTO).
Good numbers of Black-headed Gulls and Coot on the water by the feeding area. Blue Tits and Goldfinches along the Crack Willows by the side of the Ocean, see the Mid Kent Fisheries map.
Not much along by Roaden Lake, except a Green Woodpecker, and a number of Blackbirds. Over the other side of the railway line, there was a Robin singing lustily by the Abbey Meads reservoir bank. On Abbey Meads itself the nicest looking ducks were over two dozen Pochard, together with many Tufted Duck, Coot and half a dozen Great Crested Grebes. There were Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls.
On the way back there was a great Blue Tit in the bush by the start of the return track, and the pair of moorhen by the Dome. There were also 5 Canada Geese and two Tufted Duck in the channel.
