Part of the Redpoll flock with some Mealy Redpolls and a very white bird among them
I had a walk around the old brickworks and tip at Widdrington and came across a flock of about 46 Redpolls. About 26 were Lesers and the rest Mealies but 2 birds were very pale and 'snowy' looking and I was able to get a good look at one of them. One Mealy looked very broad faced with the 'pushed in bill but both birds had good white rumps and unstreaked underparts. I have taken notes and uploaded a page from the notebook but not sure if anyone can read it properly. The bird which I have photographed the underside of above looked a good candidate for an Arctic but its undertail feathers look more like a Mealy Redpoll so the 2 pale birds may be just very white and pale Mealies. It was very clear today with strong sunshine so perhaps this didn't help. I hope some birders can find the flock and have a good look through them. The flock was mobile so I wasn't able to observe them for long. Quite a few birds around with 7 Bullfinches, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Lesser Redpolls (not with flock), 2 Woodcocks, several Goldcrests and Wrens. Overhead was a Buzzard and in the paddock 11 Redwings were feeding with Blackbirds. It will probably be Saturday before I can get back to the Alders to have another look for the Redpolls.
3 comments:
I think this looks like you have a good Arctic here Nigel, love the notebook stuff too. Hope some good views can be had before the winter ends, get a good count and see whats in the flock. I find them difficult mind, the light makes white look grey and grey look brown, bigger birds look smaller and so on. I think the features you have noted are excellent.
Thanks John. I always take notes but I'm not a good sketcher of birds but what I sometimes do is magnify some pics on the camera I take while I'm there and copy a general shape in the notebook. Then watch the birds and try and shade in certain features as I see them. The result is nothing like a Stewart masterpiece but enough to get a general feel. There not always unusual birds but fortunately most stay in the book and are not on public view! I took advice from Stewart and put a couple of feeders out with Niger seed but the flock has halved since Thursday but I will keep going back to see.
Still lots there today Nigel. The pale Mealie can be seen in my flock shot down on the right slightly obscured....the site is looking great though....
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