hello,
Anyone ID these please? I was setting up my FujiFilm S5800 for tonights Bat Walk/Bug Hunt & a huge flock appeared on the roof along the way around tea time.With the flock appearance they were mobbed by the Corvids from the nearby woods on the other side of the houses. Everytime they flew off & returned they were mobbed yet again. I've only seen these in small numbers 2 or 3 on the roof edge but not as many as the previous & tonight. Just curious as to why they're being mobbed? Numbered around 12+ tonight sometimes more.
Regards
David
"Take only photographs..leave only footprints."
They look like young mistle thrushes
Less we forget
That was my thought too but being one of the less experienced members of the forum I didn't want to be first to suggest it.
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I never cease to be amazed at how much I didn't know I didn't know.
Agree with skipper and Galatas,- Mistle thrushes.
David, Is your house surrounded by woods? I have only seen Mistlies flocking during the winter after the influx of winter migrants and that is into forested areas.
Experienced comment needed !
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" - Wlliam Blake
I would suspect that this brood has been either in a tall tree near the house, or the nest has been built in between the chimney pots, which doe's happen.I would say these are from one brood.
I live off a wooded area & to the South farming countryside. There's a flock of these I counted around 9+ later last night on the roof edge that's not counting those that were on the ground nearby. I agree these photographed could well be a single brood as they were on the roof edge till late when not being mobbed by the Magpies & a family of Jackdaws. The Jackdaws use the nearby heating outlet pipe on the roof when it's raining, take it in turns to warm themselves. So anything other than the 2 Gulls that share the roof gets mobbed.
ClaireM " I have only seen Mistlies flocking during the winter after the influx of winter migrants.." I was thinking along them lines due to the numbers. I was setting up the camera for the night & as the roof is a wee bit away focused on that, the roof had more of the flock which blended in with the roof tiles further along, along with those on the ground just out of sight, harder to spot until they took to the wing. Interesting anyway.
An enormous single brood ;-) Agree re mistle thrushes though.
According to collings they do nest on cliff ledges, so the chimney pots seem more likely, 9 is a bit more than normal, unless they are from two brood's, these bird's are one of the most protecting when it comes to their young.
hello, *2 pictures of the Mob..
They're more likely to be from the nearby wood or woods further afield as there's no sign of chiney posts on this roof (gas central heated). There were a number of these 'small' birds I'd guess between the size of a House Sparrow & an Adult Thrush. There seems to be more than one brood here due to the numbers & that of those (not photographed) on the ground in the grass nearby feeding. Soon as they appear on the roof they're mobbed. As ClarM suggests could these be ready to migrate due to the numbers spotted?
Wow David, that's amazing, I've never seen that many together.
The truth is I'm mad. We are all mad and many are too mad to know the truth.
Mistle thrushes don't migrate, but are with us all the time, we may get some movement during hard times.