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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 07 Jun 2006 at 21:19    Image of day on 17 Jun 2006

Haven't seen many thrushes lately, so it's nice to see this fine example.


Ref: 20060617_d35_20060607_2119_087 fb2 songthrush(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Feb 2026 at 13:22    Image of day on 24 Mar 2026

Flocks of birds often perch for a while in the Black Poplars near the centre of our patch.
What is unusual here is that on either side of the same tree we see a small flock of Starlings on the left side, but a small flock of Fieldfares on the right.


Ref: 20260324_r52_20260214_1322_078 starling flock on left of black poplar and fieldfare flock on the right(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Feb 2017 at 22:36    Image of day on 13 Mar 2017

20 minutes after a very short touchdown the same Tawny Owl, arrives back at high speed (seen on CCTV recording and reflecting the increased stall speed) from the left for a 10 minute stay, unexpectedly carrying a Fieldfare in the Talons.
The Owl stood still for a few minutes, presumably waiting for the poor bird to expire while squeezed in the talons, before ripping it to pieces to eat it. At 10:35 p.m. it is far too dark for Fieldfares to be out feeding, so we are advised that this one probably chose a not very safe place to roost. To choose our post as it's butcher's table suggests that the Fieldfare was snatched from one of our trees in the main woodland area.


Ref: 20170313_d01_20170205_2236_005-2244_015_fb6 tawny owl landing on tree stump with fieldfare in talons and dismembering it 01+05+08+09+11 of 13 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Feb 2017 at 06:56    Image of day on 13 Mar 2017

Early next morning we found the aftermath ...
Testing the IR beam trigger shows us the remains on the top of the post. These had gone by the time we had seen the pics and went out to look for signs. We found feathers scattered around the post and a few heaped at the bottom of the post on the South side shown here.


Ref: 20170313_d01_20170206_0656_017_fb6+df3_20170206_0934_015 tawny owl landing on tree stump with fieldfare in talons and dismembering it- aftermath (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Jan 2013 at 16:31    Image of day on 26 Feb 2013

The local Thrush also put in several appearances in the snow. The bird has started using a sheet of corrugated iron (intended to attract snakes in the summer) as it's 'Anvil'.


Ref: 20130226_d45_20130119_1631_280_fb1 thrush in snow(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Feb 2013 at 16:30    Image of day on 04 Apr 2013

The Robins around the plot are busy courting and are now often seen as non-aggressive companions. Here such a pair get a quizzical look from the Thrush.


Ref: 20130404_d45_20130227_1630_145_fb1 thrush watching pair of robins (adjusted crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Dec 2009 at 15:11    Image of day on 25 Jan 2010

Long after installing and removing a camera at a known thrush anvil (which got some nice images) two existing sites each took some images of a thrush with a snail. At this site we found a few snail shells round the stone.


Ref: 20100125_d3b_20091219_1511_012_fb1 thrush with snail (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Dec 2009 at 15:52    Image of day on 25 Jan 2010

This site doesn't seem to have a suitable 'anvil' anywhere near.


Ref: 20100125_d3a_20091222_1552_108_fb2 thrush with snail (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Jun 2009 at 07:27    Image of day on 01 Aug 2009

Thrush bashing a snail on the stone to get at breakfast. He ate at least two like this in 5 minutes.


Ref: 20090801_d50_20090624_0727_044_fb5 thrush with snail at anvil stone(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Jun 2009 at 09:33    Image of day on 19 Jul 2009

Clearing up the site a bit and getting his stone back level with the surface has brought back the thrush. Interesting what little details are important.


Ref: 20090719_d50_20090620_0933_081_fb5 thrush with snail at anvil stone (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jun 2009 at 13:30    Image of day on 04 Jul 2009

We found a stone surrounded to broken snail shells - the first 'thrushes anvil' we have ever found. Installing a camera and beam-break at it with care not to disturb the anvil site was quickly rewarded with some images of the thrush with snails. First a thrush with snail approaching the stone which is at the left edge a quarter of the way up.


Ref: 20090704_d50_20090603_1330_033 fb5 thrush with snail at anvil stone (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jun 2009 at 16:07    Image of day on 04 Jul 2009

Several hours later a closer image (with presumably a fresh snail).


Ref: 20090704_d50_20090603_1607_055 fb5 thrush with snail near anvil stone (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

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