Page 14 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #12

In recent years, orchards
have had a revival in the
UK with more becoming
known and recorded.

While orchards can be rich locations in
which to watch wildlife at any season, the
middle of winter is a fine time to visit for
those who prefer their wildlife feathered.
As temperatures plummet and hedgerows
become systematically stripped, the fallen
fruit scattered in among the gnarled trunks
will provide a bonanza right through
the season for both resident British birds
and migrants arriving anywhere from
Scandinavia across to northern Russia.
At those sites with apples littering the
orchard floor, the competition for food can be
intense, as different thrush species squabble
over the discarded fruit. Not dissimilar to a
garden bird feeder, an established pecking SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR

The fallen fruit scattered Redwing and orchards is frequently a black cap, as the crown

in among gnarled trunks A combination of rusty-red heard before seen, so keep of the female is the colour
flanks and underwings your eyes and ears open. of terracotta. British
provide a bonanza right along with a creamy-white overwintering blackcaps are

through the season. supercilium above the Mistle thrush thought to hail from breeding
eye easily distinguish the A ‘mistle’ on the ground populations in Germany
order tends to occur, as the bulkier mistle smallest of our native appears both larger and and north-east Europe
thrushes and fieldfares throw their weight thrushes. Arriving in with greyer upperparts than and are commonly seen
around, while the slighter redwings and southern Britain from its song thrush cousin. The in winter orchards due
blackbirds bide their time at the margins Scandinavia, wintering distinctive white underwings to their fondness for
until they can dive in. flocks are generally shy and bounding flight should mistletoe berries.
Even a distracted throng of feeding thrushes and easily disturbed. Their also clinch its identification
will remain wary of any potential predators, soft, thin ‘sssip’ flight call in flight. The dry rattling call Mistletoe
making them easily disturbed by the careless is also immediately of this bold,aggressive This evergreen plant lives
naturalist, so a spot of fieldcraft will increase diagnostic, once learnt. thrush is frequently among the branches of
your chance of seeing the bunfight at its best. heard while it throws soft-barked trees, such
Sombre clothing is an essential prerequisite, Fieldfare its weight around as apple. Tapping
and using hedgerows as cover should ensure Slightly smaller than a mistle among the into the nutrients
your outline is less obvious. thrush, this winter visitor apple trees of their host,
The best technique of all is to employ a from northerly latitudes has (right). each globe of
portable hide, so you can view the birds to a grey head and rump, which vegetation is
your heart’s content without causing them contrasts with a chestnut Blackcap either a ‘male’
any disturbance. The smart move is to get back and a spotty breast. Only the or‘female’. However,
someone else to walk you into the hide, before With its distinct ‘chack, males birds are only interested
they then visibly depart the orchard. This trick chack, chack’ call, this bossy of this in female plants, as they’re
will likely dupe the innumerate birds into denizen of winter hedgerows largish warbler have the ones with the berries.
thinking the coast is clear.

14 BBC Wildlife December 2018