Redpoll Conundrum

Finch migration is well under way and so I've been trying to do as much ringing in the garden as time and weather allow. The wind has been a constant problem with mist-netting this winter - that and the very mild temperatures has meant that the birds have been able to find plenty of natural food and therefore less reliant on the feeders that attract them in.

Adult female Lesser Redpoll

Last week I had a chance on Wednesday morning and so I put a single 9 meter net up 'down the dip' and was rewarded with a host of new birds - first of all there were good numbers of Siskins moving through, so nine in the net on the first round was very fine! Then there were the Redpolls - many new expected Lessers but one Common (Meally) Redpoll that was clearly grey and larger than the rest of the Redpoll cohort but not by a long way. And then there were the Goldfinches and Bullfinches (19 different individuals trapped so far this winter). All in all, very satisfying but just a prelude to the weekend's highlights.

Male Siskin

The first Common Redpoll - Just short of 13g, 74 wing, 56 Tail

The first Common Redpoll

I decided to do the same thing on Saturday morning with showers forecast in the afternoon and a footy match to go to, it seemed to be a good opportunity. There weren't as many birds but the first one was another Common Redpoll - a much larger bird with bulging fat reserves, these continental cousins of the Lessers are quite scarce on this side of the country and their identification not all that straight-forward. However this bird was large and grey and fitted the bill perfectly.

2nd Common Redpoll
75.0 wing, 14.7g (Retrapped sunday 14.0 fat 3) tail 58 and fat 4

2nd Common Redpoll

I managed to get a steady stream of birds in the morning but then the rain started and so I went to put the net away - there was one bird in it, another Common Redpoll but this time even bigger and paler. I took photos of it as I had with the others, and then released it. It was only the next day that the penny dropped that it might have been something even rarer!

3rd Common Redpoll
77.0 wing 13.9g Tail 59 FAT 3

3rd Common Redpoll

3rd Common Redpoll (islandica? Coues's Arctic?)

Sunday was spent with mum in Southport but Mark had called to ask if he could come round and look for the Mealies. I left the key to the shed in a safe place for him and left it at that. Around lunchtime he texted that there were two Mealies still so I said to put the nets up and I'd see him in the afternoon.

To cut a long story short, we retrapped Mealy No. 2 and got field views of No. 3 looking distinctly paler than it did in the hand! It's got a white rump! An the Bill is looking more pointed and less hefty than the others.

Marks image of the pale 3rd Common Redpoll

We've now got the books out and sent images to a few people - Coues's Arctic was considered a possibility but it is very large for that species (though not out of range) and the rump is streaked faintly. We're leaning towards Pale Icelandic Redpoll as the nearest fit.

Anyway, I was out again for a couple of hours this morning and the first bird was another Common Redpoll.

Fourth Common Redpoll
Wing 74, Tail 56, Fat 4 weight 16g!

Lesser Redpoll