I’ve spoken before about my garden birds and how I love watching their antics in and around the bird feeder. Well today I’ve been concentrating my attention on a thrush.
I’m no bird expert, but after to-days goings on I’ve come to the conclusion that my previous sightings have been a Song Thrush (Turdus Philomelos).

He’s the one who visits infrequently and always gets scared off and bullied by the blackbirds. He’s quite slim, but very handsome and very, very timid.

Today I saw a much bigger specimen, who I assume is a Mistle Thrush (Turdus Viscivorus). Another very handsome bird, but quite chunky in appearance and  more like the size and shape of a blackbird.

I’d put some windfall apples on the lawn and this thrush was tucking into one. A blackbird, who obviously felt the apple was his, was skirting around the thrush in a threatening way, but having no effect.

He tried it several times, and in several directions, he even brought in reinforcements at one point, but the thrush wasn’t for moving. He just kept on eating his apple.

The blackbird finally tried an all-out attack, head down, beak extended, but still no joy.

So, the Mistle Thrush is bigger and braver than the Song Thrush or perhaps blackbirds are just bullies and won’t really take on someone their own size in any serious way.

So maybe size matters even in the bird world.

Happy New Year!

song thrush mistle thrush