Gatherings

That time of year when birds get together and can be seen sometimes in large numbers. Often they are moving purposely in their chosen direction. Mostly when I see them in mornings it's East to West. Redwings have been present recently in groups of 20 or more. Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws are usually up overhead somewhere.

The large groups of smaller birds can be harder to identify for someone like me who's not a seriously keen birder, therefore without the benefit of large and expensive camera lenses and binoculars. But I can but make a guess. Often the groups lately have been over 50 at a time and their movements have been less directional than the larger species. They settle temporarily in the thinner top branches of birch where they are prone to hang upside down before groups rise up and swirl round before settling again.

What should be a giveaway for inexpert watchers is the sense of redness - one's rarely close enough to get a detailed view. That should at least narrow it down to Linnet, Redpoll or Goldfinch, each of which may be found in large gatherings. Some of the photos I've taken lead me to plump in this case for Redpoll but only those with superior equipment might confirm that for me.