Gail,
   I hope you are not suggesting that birds inside a barroom got there on their own. I believe it is not unusual in Europe for thrushes to be kept in captivity for their vocal abilities. They are probably available in the US also.
--
Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD


---- "Gail B. Mackiernan <>" <> wrote: 
> Although I agree with Bob that this is an exceptionally unusual sighting (although not impossible, last year there was a Redwing in PA just to our north) -- it is also a very unlikely bird for captivity -- or am I wrong on this? What evidence is there for captivity or for other man-assistance? Fieldfares breed in Greenland and Iceland, and are regular (albeit infrequent) vagrants to the NE, obvously much more likely to be further north in the Maritimes or in New England. They are also middle-distance migrants though often only move slightly south in mild winters. 
> 
> Was the bird with Robins on on its own? Fieldfares in the USA are often with Robins, as was the Redwing in PA.
> 
> Anyway, worth checking out...
> 
> Gail Mackiernan
> Colesville, MD
> 
> p.s. we are NOT off to Panama tomorrow as Barry has caught a nasty chest cold and shouldn't travel, trip postponed a bit, so we still around to chase rarities...well, *I* am (heh heh)
> 
> 
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Bob Mumford <>
> > On our way over to chase the kingbird Friday, we stopped in for lunch at  
> > Legal Spirits Tavern in Easton, across the street from the famed Tidewater  Inn.  
> > Upon entering, I was dumbfounded to notice a Fieldfare perched  on a short 
> > branch about eight feet high in the SE corner of the barroom.   It has been 
> > around for some time, according to the waitperson.  
> >  
> > The bird has a grey head, with white supercillium.  Its wings are  a light 
> > rusty and its breast white or light tan with the characteristic V shaped  spots. 
> >  Its throat was white and rump grey.  We did not hear it  vocalize during our 
> > stay.  I did not have my camera with me, so did not get  an image.
> >  
> > Since this is almost assuredly man-assisted, it is not a countable  bird.
> >  
> <snip>