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~ a celebration of nature

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Tag Archives: Song thrush

Song vs Mistle

01 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, comparing Song and Mistle thrush, Mistle thrush, Song thrush

While we’re on the subject of Song thrushes …
I know many people have trouble working out whether the bird they’re seeing is a Song thrush or a Mistle thrush. As I’ve managed to get reasonably close photos of both recently, I thought I’d post a blog comparing the two.

230201 song and mistle thrush (1)

The Song thrush (left) is smaller than a Blackbird, has arrowhead-shaped markings on its upper breast, its tail is the same colour as the rest of its back, and the edges of its wing feathers are a pale orange-buff colour. The Mistle thrush (right) is larger than a Blackbird, has breast markings that start off looking like sharp thorns then become more rounded and often smudge together, its tail tends to be a different colour to its back, and its wing feathers are usually edged in white. Also, the Mistle thrush has a very upright stance and often looks like it has a bit of a pot belly. The British Trust for Ornithology has an excellent short video on YouTube if you want to learn more.

230201 song and mistle thrush (2)  –  Song thrush, top, and Mistle thrush, below

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Song thrushes are a’singing

31 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Song thrush

When a bitterly cold wind is making the tips of your nose and fingers feel like ice, it may not feel like Spring is just around the corner but the birds seem to think it is. I’ve seen Magpies fiddling sticks into years-old nest structures, and heard Dunnocks and tits singing for potential mates. And, yesterday, this beautiful Song thrush was sitting atop a big mound of scrub and bramble, singing his heart out. I wasn’t the only person to stop, look and listen.

230131 song thrush

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The killing stone

08 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, broken snail shells, Song thrush, Song thrush killing snails, thrush anvil

I heard it before I saw it, that persistent tap tap tap of a bird, a Song thrush, dashing a snail against a stone, its anvil, to free the shell of its juicy contents. I’ve read that thrushes often use the same stone over and over and, when I found this particular stone, I could certainly believe it. Just look at all those broken snail shells. It’s sad for the snails but good for the Song thrush and its offspring.

220808 thrush anvil

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Birds and berries, 2

04 Saturday Dec 2021

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birds and berries, birdwatching, British birds, ivy berries, Song thrush

These are not recent photos but I love how acrobatic these Song thrushes are when reaching for their delicious berry treats.

211204 thrush and berries (1)
211204 thrush and berries (2)

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Juvenile Song thrush

26 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, juvenile Song thrush, Song thrush

Hop, hop, hop. From its hiding spot amongst the path-side stinging nettles, out popped this juvenile Song thrush. I stopped immediately but it heard my final footstep and turned to look at me. And it stared … and stared … and stared. I could almost read its thoughts: ‘What is that? Should I be worried? Can I eat it? Does it have food?’ I could see a man walking two dogs down the path towards us and was concerned for this little juvenile, still learning about danger, so, after taking a few photos, I gently approached and shepherded the bird back in to the nettles.

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337/366 The anvil

02 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

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bird anvil, birding, birdwatching, British birds, snail shells, Song thrush, Song thrush's anvil

At the moment there are plenty of juicy berries on the trees and bushes, but when those disappear, or the ground’s too hard to probe for earthworms, snails become an important source of winter food for our Song thrushes. But how to get inside those protective shells to the body within? The answer is shown in the photo below – find a suitable stone, or similar hard object, and bash the snails on it.

201202 song thrush anvil

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209/366 Song thrush fledgling

27 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, fledgling, Song thrush, Song thrush fledgling

I hope this little Song thrush fledgling managed to find its parents, or they found it. I spotted sitting in the middle of a footpath but it managed to hop into the vegetation at the side of the path as I approached, and I could hear what might have been adult birds peeping softly from the surrounding bushes and trees. Fingers crossed!

200727 song thrush fledgling

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336/365 Birds and berries

02 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, plants, winter

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autumn berries, birding, birds eating berries, birdwatching, blackbird, British birds, Fieldfare, Mistle thrush, Redwing, Song thrush, winter thrushes, Woodpigeon

It’s only been a few weeks since I saw my first winter thrushes of the season but now they’re everywhere, feasting on autumn’s bounty of lush, delicious berries. Song and Mistle thrushes, Blackbirds, Redwings and Fieldfares and, not a thrush, the Woodpigeons are also indulging in the berry-fest. The Redwings are particularly skittish but I’ve managed to sneak up on a few to grab photos, though, more often than not, the whole tree I’m trying to approach will suddenly erupt with birds flying off in all directions. And then I feel a little guilty about interrupting their repast.

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183/365 Pathetic, but not

02 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

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#365DaysWild, birding, birdwatching, British birds, fledgling bird, fledgling Song thrust, Song thrush

Young birds really have perfected the ‘poor me, I’m starving, feed me’ routine!

190702 song thrush (a)

This fledgling Song thrush was sitting on a path alongside a wildflower meadow I visited today. It had its head tilted to keep an eye on the sky and was uttering the most pathetic-sounding peeps. I immediately felt sorry for it, thought it might have lost its parents, be injured, be unable to fly.

190702 song thrush (b)

But no, as soon as I got within a few feet of it, it was up and off at a rate of knots to the nearest tree. I didn’t see its parents – maybe they’d become immune to its pleas and knew very well it was old enough to fend for itself.

190702 song thrush (c)

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124/365 A Throstle or two

04 Saturday May 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

≈ 3 Comments

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#365DaysWild, bird names, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Song thrush, Throstle

Did you know the Song thrush was once known as the Throstle?

190504 song thrush (1)

It appeared as such in Thomas Berwick’s landmark birding guide book Land Birds back in 1797, the name was later standardised to Song thrush – makes sense when you listen to the great tunes it belts out – but, as recently as 1951, when he published his Collins New Naturalist volume Birds and Men, Max Nicholson was still arguing for the name to change back to Throstle. Song thrush or Throstle – which do you prefer?

190504 song thrush (2)

Regurgitating interesting titbits from Stephen Moss’s delectable Mrs Moreau’s Warbler: How birds got their names, Guardian Faber, London, 2018.

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sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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