Fieldfare was virtually absent on the patch for the first couple of weeks in January this year. When the cold weather arrived though, so did they - now outnumbering Redwings 20:1. To help get the birds through the hard weather a local birder has been putting apples out, spiking them onto a Hawthorn shrub. The birds are still very nervous, as this species always is, but it provides a rare opportunity to get close to them. I spent a quiet half hour today (instead of eating lunch!) photographing one particalur bird that didn't seem to mind my presence too much - I made sure I was slow and deliberate, and was rewarded with the nicest shots I've yet got of this beautiful thrush. The snow on the ground made for excellent and even lighting, and for the first time in ages I didn't have to shoot at silly ISOs and so was back to my regular 400. Thank heavens for small mercies, as well as birds fairly content to sit still and have their picture taken! Hopefully I can get out to this feeding station a few more times before the snow melts and the birds move on, as with patience I think I could get a nice clean background and do a better job on the whites. Still, for a smash-and-grab raid in the middle of the working day, I can't say I'm unhappy!

All images taken with the Canon 1D Mark IV body, with the tripod-mounted 800mm f5.6 lens.