Gone Local II

Watergrove, Rochdale - 6.4.19

Couple of hours out again this morning to try and improve on Thursday images taken in grey and drizzly conditions, today it's the total opposite with bright sunlight, shadows and the sun angle from the side the joys of wildlife photography.

Work in progress....more  text to follow

Mealy Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Ringed bird with some detail...... NH...LOND...AJO ?

Brambling - male

The Brambling has a ring on the right leg which I think reads.....W75 NLA

Gone Local

Watergrove, Rochdale - 4.4.19

Around mid-day today I got wind of a possible Common or Mealy Redpoll that was associating with a group of Lesser Redpolls showing on the edge of a local wood, the light being is a little on the grim side and a forecast of rain later never the less I thought I'd give a go and get some images.

Clattering up a cobbled road I'm at a new location for me further more I haven't got the foggiest idea where I'm supposed to be heading, so with the gear loaded up I decide to head off in the direction of the wood in the distance. It's all very quite until I see another chap out with a scope....ah a birder !...he sets me straight to where I should be heading and bingo....birds mainly finches everywhere.

Although I'm not out birding logging species winter birds seem to be the order noting, numerous male and female Lesser Redpolls, what appears to be a whiter Mealy Redpoll, up to 4 Brambling, 4 other types of finch, a solitary Reed Bunting amongst many others that keep me occupied for the short period I'm on site. Now with the deteriorating light requiring me to shooting at iso 4,000 and light drizzle setting in decide I call it a day.

I may very well try again tomorrow.

Click image to view....

Common or Mealy Redpoll

A stand out bird and easily picked out amongst the darker browner Lesser Redpoll's

Lesser Redpoll

Estimating up to ten birds present not always easy to count when you are concentrating trying to get that one mega image.

Brambling - male

Both male and female birds present but due to disturbance from several walkers, a dog, rain and eventually low light I never managed an image of the female.

Mealy Redpoll - Elton Bury

Towards the end of the 2016 year there have been a number of Lesser Redpolls visiting the seed feeders adjacent to the carpark at Elton Reservoir in Bury. Just before Christmas there was a report of a very "pale" Redpoll in the group of visiting Redpolls with the characteristics possibly of a Common or by its other name Mealy Redpoll.

This is not intended to be a technical paper but more a pictorial record with comment only for interest.

Click image & view full screen

This image above shows a male Lesser Redpoll. The birds mantle shows is significantly amount of brown together with a buff wing bar.

This is the best image showing a possible male Common or by it's other name a Mealy Redpoll. Significantly paler than the first image of a male Lesser Redpolls with a more white wing bar, the mantle still shows an amount of brown.

The size difference between the Lesser Redpoll and the Mealy Redpoll can clearly be seen in this image with the Mealy being a "fatter" bird

Image shows the Mealy Redpoll sat in a tree, usually the bird lands directly onto the feeders

Another image of the Mealy Redpoll this time showing more brown on the mantle than the previous image, maybe as a result of the light angle

The image shows the same male Mealy Redpoll on the left of the feeder and a female Lesser Redpoll on the right. Again the amount of brown is a concern for Mealy Redpoll identification