DECEMBER 21ST - NORTH PERROTT, SOMERSET

A break in the bad weather gave us a beautiful, bright sunny morning over Somerset. I took the opportunity to grab a quick walk over the fields to the next village Hazelbury Plucknett - great name eh?

I am becoming obsessed with taking pictures of Redwings and Fieldfares - partly because of a childhood dream.  When I was lad in the fifties & sixties I had my observers' book of Birds and I really wanted to see these 'rare' winter thrushes, they shown in black and white in the book, if my memory serves me correctly. They looked so exotic and nothing like the common thrushes, I had to find them. It was years later that I actually had good views of them.

I also saw: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Common Buzzard, Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tit (eating fallen fruit - apples). lots of Chaffinches 100+ (not a single Brambling in with them), two Ravens mobbing a Buzzard.

The highlight of the walk was finding a horse paddock packed full of birds - yes you guessed; Fieldfares (274), Redwings (56), blackbirds (6), White wagtail (1), Jackdaws, Rooks and a Crow.


CLICK ON ANY PICTURE FOR A LARGER IMAGE