h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Because the trees that run alongside my garden have been full of Redwings and Fieldfares, which overwinter in the UK.
I was watching them yesterday afternoon, i was'nt the only one either, there was a female Sparrow hawk watching and hoping to catch a meal i suspect.
I'm sure the Fieldfares and Redwings were working some sort of lookout shift. There would be a flock of 30 or so land in the trees and sit watching and preening for 10-15 minutes, then another flock would fly in to take over the watch. It's funny how Redwings and Fieldfares always stay together, you hardly ever see them apart in flocks.

You are so lucky Venus, I have only seem them once, in 1981/2 when we had a bad winter and the house next door was empty. There was a huge Bramley apple tree there laden with the most fruit we had seen in decades. They flocked in to feast, joining the blackbirds.

Websailor

There are three huge orchards in this area, one of them runs alongside my garden. Another runs along a lane i walk to for work, so i see hundreds of them while walking to work. They are really quite noisy and the fieldfares are particularly handsome birds.

Ah, that explains it. I think we would probably get them still, if the neighbour from some years back hadn't cut the apple tree down so she could sunbathe We live on what was once farmland and this was an orchard. Every house that was built was left a fruit tree. Ours was a plum tree but it became diseased before we moved in

Websailor

Some peole have funny priorities eh! I can't imagine cutting a tree down in favour of sunbathing.
They do seem to like the orchards, though i have seen the birds in large groups in open fields too. Perhaps they just cannot be bothered to fly any further up the coast.
The one thing i don't have in my garden is a fruit tree, i find they are far too much trouble and prone to too many diseases for my liking. Luckily the owners of the orchards also have a farm shop opposite where i work and also a PYO buisness for soft fruit, so i never go short.

Lucky you. Fruit fresh off the trees and bushes - there is nothing like it!

Websailor

That really sums up the difference between a 'gardener' and a 'garden designer'.

If a tree is blocking the sun, a garden designer has it removed. A gardener moves out of the shadow.

Oh, she was no gardener KB, she might have broken her nails or soiled her itsy bitsy!! meeiow!

Websailor