A departure from my normal subject matter of plants today. I have been watching these redwings recently in the trees outside my windows. They are very attractive birds with their plumage resembling a thrush and the red streaks under their wings. They are related to the thrush but smaller. They feast on berries and one of their favourites are the rowan berries which I have painted . They migrate to the UK in the winter from the colder climates of Iceland and Scandinavia where they spend the warmer months.