Fieldfare photographed at St Andrew (Parish) on 14/2/2015 Photo: © Anthony Loaring (visit site)

The status of the Fieldfare has probably not changed since Smith's time when he reported it as a regular and numerous winter visitor. He saw many being sold in the Guernsey market in November along with other thrushes.

Fieldfare arrive in mid-October (mean date 14 October), generally a few days later than the first Redwings. Passage occurs throughout October and into November and the number remaining to winter relies heavily on continental weather conditions. On migration in autumn flocks of over 100 are not uncommon though generally migrating flocks tend to number less than fifty birds. Birds can be found in virtually any open habitat including fields, gardens and parks.

In winter large movements take place when there is severe weather to the north of the islands and numbers generally peak in January and early February. Cold weather or lower food levels further north probably accounted for flocks in excess of 100 birds in February 1976, February 1978, January 1985 (1,000 birds at L'Eree alone), and February 1987 (250 L'Eree). By far the largest mid-winter movement occurred in February 1982. On 9 February 1982 very few birds were seen on the island. On the 10th, huge flocks arrived and several counts were made from various sites. These included 21,000 birds at L'Ancresse, 12,500 birds at Cambridge Park, 5,850 at Footes Lane and many many more throughout the island. The estimate of the numbers of birds on the whole island was put at 250,000 and was thought to be conservative!

Wintering birds tend to leave at a similar time to Redwing. By the end of March most flocks have left the island. Small numbers of birds are seen in April and even in May and the mean last date of 14 April. Birds in April and May are presumably southern migrants returning north towards there breeding grounds. One record of a bird over summering has been recorded, that of a bird at Les Nicolles to the 6th June 1971.

Only two recoveries have been generated, one of a bird ringed in Sark in November and shot 70 km south in France in December and one of a Dutch ringed bird ringed in September and recovered in Guernsey the following January. This suggests that Fieldfare follow a similar pattern to Redwings, moving through Scandinavia, the Low countries and into the UK, and France.