Don't Mess With a Fieldfare

With plenty of reports of winter thrushes turning up in gardens during the recent snowfall, I cut up a few cheap, old apples and stuck them on the lawn, in the hope that they would do the trick and bring in a few Fieldfare.

The apples worked a treat, and within no time, a Fieldfare had dropped down to claim the garden to itself, squaring up to any bird that venture onto the lawn. This was pretty bad news for the Blackbirds, who were the main target for the Fieldfare's aggression, but great news for the camera. I spent a good hour or two watching this beauty from the kitchen window.

Threat posture...