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What type of Redpoll is this

Zo Clark
22/01/2022 01:10

                   

I havent seen a Redpoll in this part of East Gloucestershire before. It was 21 January at 13.30 I only saw one and I dont know if its a Commin Redpoll  or lesser Redpoll 

  • +1 22/01/2022 09:01
    Difficult one this - especially when judging photos as the photographs' colour settings, exposure and artefacts can affect the colouration and tones of a bird.

    What we can assume - even though you seem to get both birds in your area - is that the Lesser Redpoll is the more common bird (yes, I know that sounds odd) with the Mealy, or Common Redpoll being the Winter visitor and the more 'rarer' bird to encounter.

    So I would opt for what most probably it is, which would be the Lesser.
  • 0 22/01/2022 10:37
    Sorry for the late Response. I didnt know if it was common or Lesser Redpoll but it’s mostly cause its Winter and the Common Redpoll is a winter migrant so even though the lesser Redpoll is more common considering the time of year it could still be a Common Redpoll. If it wasnt Winter then I think I would think it might be lesser Redpoll cause its more Common. For the photos I used a pair of Bimoculars I zoomed in a lot on the camera before takeing a photo with them which is the reason that it is so close. Even though the photo was clear there was some white from the exposure at first so I sharpened the image abit and it worked. The picture of the Bird hasn’t been altered too much so hopefully the colour of the bird hasn’t been afected too much and does still help to a certain exstent. When I saw the bird without the binoculars it was very pale and very small. I thought it might be a Robin at first but it didn’t quiet look like a Robin so I used my binoculars so I could see any details I couldn’t see well without them and It turned out to be a Redpoll. So I thought it might be a Winter migrant exspeacialy since I never seen one here in my local area before even though you get them in East Gloucestershire. The common Redpoll is usualy darker in colour but with binoculars I could see she looked darker around the face as you might notice in the photos. Even though the lesser Redpoll is more common I think it’s considered a resident species. But If we also take into comsideration there was only one and not in a flock and Iv never seen one in the local area before and that its January and the common Redpoll is a winter visitor Do you think it might be a Common Redpoll?
  • 0 22/01/2022 11:11

    I agree with Robbo, start with the most likely species before looking for rarities. In this case the law of averages suggests Lesser Redpoll, we have been watching good numbers of them recently feeding in Alders and mixing with Siskin flocks

    Pete

    Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

  • 0 22/01/2022 11:12
    I read somewhere that one of them is darker brown and I thought it might of been the common redpoll that is darker. So if i was wrong Sorry it was just a mistake. I thought the binoculars will help identify which species it might be and I only sharpened it abit cause I didn’t want to Change it to the point that it doesn’t look like How it did before editing cause the main idea of the binoculars was to see more detail and the colour more easily to help find out which species of Redpoll it might be. Its mainly the time of year that got me thinking it could be a winter migrant. If it wasnt Winter I would of been more on the lesser Redpoll side. The tree that the bird is on is actually a Silver Birch tree its lost all its leafs but has got some Catkins so it might of been after the birch seeds or something. She was relaxed and pecking at the something on the branches and preening itself. If the Redpoll is a common redpoll I would think it might be in its Winter plummage cause it has no red on the chest and belly. I but Think even if it turns out to be lesser Redpoll it could be a Juvinile or a Female since it doesnt have any red on the chest or belly. Do you think this is a Juvinile Redpoll or Female Redpoll?
  • 0 22/01/2022 23:11

    Since this is the first time I ever seen a Redpoll here locally I didnt know Redpolls forage in flocks mostly cause the bird was on her own and it was the first time Iv ever seen one. If it was with a flock I wouldn’t of been surprised to find out they usualy forage in a flock. birds that forage in flock tend to be with the flock rather than on there own most of the time unless calling to the flock or something. The bird was relaxed instead of alert and looking for birch seeds and preening even though she was on her own. Some Birds flock more in the Winter so it seems strange to me that she’s on her own and no Repolls flocked there. Do you know why the Redpoll was on her own?

  • +1 23/01/2022 10:46
    Zo, at this time of year most finches and tits trnd to be in mixed flocks,more eyes for looking for food and security. Why your bird was on its own I hzve no suggestions if it had been a male it could have been looking for nesting sites. Maybe your female was temporarily separated from the main flock.

    Pete

    Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

  • +1 23/01/2022 12:29

    Hi

    shape and overall marking strength and especially bill size says Lesser to me :)

    S

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • +1 23/01/2022 12:42

    These   bills  for size

    S

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • 0 23/01/2022 13:58

    This morning the Redpoll visited and then landed on the tree and brought a flock with her. Yesterday She looked like she was on her own but maybe  her flock was nearby but not anywhere to be seen or heard. she might of been looking for a food source and decided to tell the flock where the food is yesterday  And then decided to return today. They visited the silver Birch tree twice this morning. Maybe yesterday the bird found a food source which was on the Silver Birch tree and then found her flock after she left and then told the flock and returned with the flock when she visited again this morning 

  • 0 27/01/2022 12:16

    When I was younger I  didn’t  used to see any birds at all unless they were on the ground like Woodpigeons  but when I was much younger I had a very bad phobia of Wild animals even domestic ones so would hide and Panic and would get high levels of anxiety if they were around. I had bad exspeariances with things like geese cats Bumblebees and wasps and spiders and goats, other wild animals and dogs exspeacialy and wouldnt go anywhere that had them unless they were behind a fence. The only exception was that snakes cause I didn’t have bad exspeariances with them. I didn’t know much about wild animals and didn’t understand them. When I was older I decided to face and overcome my fear of dogs which took a year to overcome entirely then I went onto cats and then Birds. Then goats and the other animals I had bad exspeariances with. Then I did Spiders. I started with big spiders first and took my first step by handling a tarantula at longleat and when I Overcame my fear of big spiders I went onto small ones and then daddylong legs, craneflys and harvesmen and flys then Bumblebees and then wasps. After I overcame my fear of others aswell I helped Wildlife out in the garden when they were in trouble. And then I birdwatched more and did Wildlife watching and then wanted to help with Research and conservation aswell. I record the calls of differant types of birds in my area sometimes when I hear them. and find it very interesting. I know the birds in my area very well now and even though I saw Redpolls for the first time I  don’t get Siskins,  and Iv never ever seen a Siskin before. Do you know how to attract them?