Battle of the birds – when fieldfares get tough

We have a firethorn bush trained on the garage wall and for quite a lot of years two fieldfares have arrived each winter for the berries and they drive off the blackbirds and starlings by keeping watch on a tree down the garden and dive- bombing the other birds.

This year, for the first time, a pigeon took a fancy to the berries and when the fieldfares tried to do the same, the pigeon just stood its ground and stayed put. Most interesting to watch.

From: WE Verity, Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite, Harrogate.

From: Miss Mary Lister, Almsford Oval, Harrogate.

THE letter from Keith L Rowling (Country Week, January 30) relating to an aggressive fieldfare I found intriguing.

During the recent snowfall, one appeared in the garden and for three days stayed around, spending the entire day on the second day in the garden, eating the apples I quarter and put on the ground, mainly for the blackbirds. On the second day, it "took possession" of the garden and wouldn't allow any blackbirds in, breaking off repeatedly from consuming apples to chase them away. Although the many blackbirds have

now returned, there is a noticeable absence of other birds. I understand that fieldfares are unusually aggressive at nesting time.

From: Ken Walker, Barwick -in-Elmet, Leeds.

In reply to Barrie Heaton's letter, "palace ribs" is a lean muscle of beef situated in a forequarter between the shoulder and the brisket, cut into joints, with rib bones left attached. These days it is classed as thick rib, not used as a joint but more as shoulder steaks. The name "palace ribs" was used in the Bradford area. In Leeds, it was called "rands of beef".

From: DS Boyes, Rodley Lane, Bramley, Leeds.

"Palace ribs" as it is known around Bradford, "rans" in Leeds, or pot roast/thick ribs as some supermarkets label it today, is a cut of beef from the forequarter, characterised by short flat bones on the flesh side. The forequarter of beef is basically divided by two cuts across into three sections which themselves can be sub-divided into various cuts. The largest, ie, neck and shoulder section, gives stewing meat, braising steak and fore ribs. The centre one below is where "palace ribs" or rans comes from, with the lower one providing brisket. Hope that this clears up the mystery.

From: M Womersley, Moor Lane, Burley-in- Wharfedale.

I WAS born in the early Thirties and remember my mother always used to buy "palace ribs". As I recall it was lovely-tasting but rather fatty, and it made lovely dripping with bags of brown juices.