Fieldfares

Following on from my recent success in catching and ringing Redwings feeding in the garden, I've had a bit of success with their larger Scandinavian cousins! Having a number of apple trees in the garden we've been getting a few each winter feeding on windfalls.  I've never had any success mist netting them in previous years but this year I've been using the whoosh net I've built with a remote release mechanism I can fire from the warmth and comfort of the conservatory. See blog post here about the whoosh net and how it works.

Fieldfares are extremely protective and territorial so its unusual to get more than 2-3 feeding in the garden on their preferred apple at the same time so I wasn't expecting to catch big numbers. So far I've caught three and three Blackbirds. All three Fieldfares were sexed as males based on the pattern of the black markings concealed in the centre of the grey crown feathers -- see photo below. Females have a much narrower black 'arrowhead'.

Two have been adult males (Euring age 4) and one a 1st winter (Euring age 3). Fieldfares are aged on the shape of the tail and the presence, or otherwise, of a moult limit in the greater coverts. 1st year birds will undergo a partial post juvenile moult in their first autumn but usually won't moult all the greater coverts so you can generally find a moult limit between the older juvenile feathers and the recently grown adult type.

 Beautiful birds and a real treat to see them up closely - I've not ringed very many as theyre usually difficult to catch.