New Year, New Bird(s)

We had been feeding the abundance of squabbling robins on the site, waiting for the magpies to arrive, when we heard a new bird sound.

We were delighted to see a green woodpecker (Picus viridis) in the ash tree.

That's the first one we've seen on the site.

Another new sighting was on the walk to the site today (so I'm sneakily adding it to this post). It was in a playground close to the allotments.

Friends have identified it as a fieldfare (Turdus pilaris). What an attractive looking bird; a member of the thrush family and a Winter UK visitor apparently. It wasn't with other fieldfares but we have seen a lot of other thrushes this Winter - making the most of the many mollusc that were around last year no doubt!

I bet they don't show up for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch at the end of the month though! 

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch