Wot? No Thrushes!

It's a New Year which means a New List. Consequently I have been out for the last three days laying the foundations for, what will definitely be, a record breaking year! If I can keep my list going beyond May that is. So January 1st and I was at Hoveringham Gravel Pits in Notts. Two and a half hours. No Mistle Thrushes. No Song Thrushes. No Fieldfare. One Redwing and a half dozen Blackbirds. Prime habitat - lots of hedgerows with hawthorn berries, pasture for horses and lots of worm and insect rich sward. Where are the thrushes?
January 2nd and four hours grubbing arouind Clumber Park in north Notts. Different habitat - parkland, woodland and cultivated fields again with miles of hedgerows. No Song Thrushes. No Fieldfares. No Redwing. One Mistle Thrush singing about half-a-mile away. Half a dozen Blackbirds.

Blackbird. The only thrush left!

January 3rd. Four hours at Titchwell in North Norfolk. No Song Thrushes. No Mistle Thrushes. No Fieldfare. No Redwing. Half a dozen Blackbirds. Then three-quarters of an hour at Hunstanton Cliffs. Don't expect much in the way of thrushes here. Good job as there weren't any apart from a couple of Blackbirds.
A recent posting on the BTO BirdTrack page discussed the increased reporting rate from observers of thrushes. The BTO are also currently conducting a survey into wintering thrushes and their food sources. I look forward to seeing the results and finding out where the thrushes are 'cus they ain't anywhere near me.
I'll be out again tomorrow looking for thrushes...!