Before anyone says, “I thought they were already spotted!” that joke has already been cracked by Groucho Marx – except in his case it was about a leopard.

Joking aside, I was surprised to see two of these magnificent birds in the garden this morning – the last day of August. I had been attracted by a flurry of bird activity in my neighbour’s cedar but then I saw a larger bird in silhouette. I thought at first it was a woodpecker but it soon came out into full view. This is one of several good  shots I took.

The mistle thrush normally inhabits more open spaces like parks and (in my experience) cricket pitches like the one on Attenborough village green. This is a definite first in our garden and the picture is a likely candidate for the  2017 wildlife calendar  [place your orders now 😉 ].

This brings to 22 the total number species identified in or near the garden in August. We have noticed a big increase in the number of crows this year and a flock of at least 10 long-tailed tits earlier in the month. There have not been as many young birds observed as in previous years. Perhaps this is due to the poor conditions in June.