Can someone ID this bird please?

[Guest Lee]

There has been a bird in our garden for the last 3 days that I've not seen around here before and seeing I'm no bird watcher I can't ID it so I'd like a little help please.

Its not a great shot but I was doing the washing-up and had to grab the camera before it flew off and managed this shot through the kitchen window!

[FUJI]

By doing a very quick Internet search Lee.....I am 99% sure it is a....Fieldfare........just put that into a google images search.

FUJI

[Phil]

To be honest it had me stumped but I think Fooj has got it.

[Guest]

By doing a very quick Internet search Lee.....I am 99% sure it is a....Fieldfare........just put that into a google images search.

FUJI

Used to see them regularly when I was young.

[Guest Lee]

Fuji, many thanks for that. I looked in a book but the ruddy things never look the same to me!

[JohnP]

It's definately a Fieldfare a member of the Thrush family, they are winter visitors that breed in north and eastern europe, mostly seen in flocks often in the company of Redwings another member of the Thrush family. Their call is a harsh... chack...chack...chack. They feed on berries and fallen fruit like apples, where I lived prior to last April there were flocks of several hundred each winter feeding on cider apples that had fallen and hadn't been gathered up. Lee... if you have any apples especially a bit over ripe this bird will love them. I've never seen them in gardens myself, I think it's probably quite hungry.

[Terry]

Fieldfare definately

[Guest Lee]

Cheers John. We've just got in and we saw it fighting with another one in the snow before seeing it off and then munching on the berries; I actually have some apples and if they go off then I'll chuck them out.