6 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



FIELDFAEE. 



TuRDUS PILARIS, Linnasus. 

 Local Names — Felfar, Blue-hack. 



A winter visitor, remaining from October to May, 

 though seldom seen later than April anywhere but in 

 the sheltered district around Grange on the north side 

 of Morecambe Bay. It is usually a fortnight later both 

 in its arrival and departure than the Eedwing. The late 

 Mr. W. Pearson, of Crosthwaite, in some notes read 

 before the Kendal Natural History Society, on December 

 8th, 1839, referring to the Winster vahey, remarked : 

 " Fieldfares and Redwings do not now stay with us 

 through the winter. They come in large flocks about 

 the latter end of October, and we see them again in 

 spring. In my youth we used to have them the winter 

 through, feeding on holly-berries and haws." In all 

 other parts of the county, however, the Fieldfare 

 appears to remain the winter through, although near 

 Manchester it is every year becoming less numerous, 

 formerly being moderately abundant. Mr. T. Jackson 

 also says that in his district of Overton it is decreasing ; 

 there it is to be seen on the meadows feeding among the 

 Lapwings, but when the ground is covered with snow, 

 it takes to the hedges and feeds on the haws. It has 

 never been known to remain to breed, though the late 

 Mr. J. F. Brockholes reported {Proc. Liverpool Lit. and 

 Phil. Soe., 1859-60) having seen one on an unfinished 

 nest at Maghull. 



[Mr. R. J. Howard says that the Fieldfare frequents 

 higher and more open ground than the Eedwing, except 

 during the hardest weather ; and this is decidedly my 

 own experience. — Ed.] 



