Towards the middle of February we had a cold snap, with several inches of snow carpeting the garden. The Saturday was forecast to be sunny, with very little wind, and I had negotiated a few hours in the hide - excellent!  I placed a number of apples at strategic locations, stocked up the feeders and settled down in the hide. I was looking forward to a productive morning.  

And productive it was - but not for the reason I expected. I had not been in the hide long when a relatively large bird flopped into the snow, just few feet from the hide - it was a Fieldfare! We have had Fieldfares in the garden before, but never when I have been in the hide, and never so close.

Exposure was quite tricky, with white snow on a bright day. But I had plenty of chance to get my shots. The Fieldfare stayed in and around the garden for the whole time I was in the hide, occasionally moving to chase off other birds, but soon returning to feed on an apple. It pretty much got through a whole apple all by itself.

The bird presented itself in a number of different positions, allowing a number of pleasing portraits.

Fieldfare Fieldfare Fieldfare Fieldfare

Having bagged a few portraits, I focussed on trying to capture the bird in action, feeding on the apples that had sunk into the snow.

Fieldfare Fieldfare Fieldfare Fieldfare Fieldfare

I was really pleased to see and photograph a Fieldfare at such close quarters. It proved to be pretty much the only bird that I photographed that day as it chased everything else out of the garden. Still - a first for me - but would it stick around?