20 Redpolls in the Garden!! (1 Viewer)

razorsharp

For the Laugh

• Feb 10, 2009

• #1

It started in October with one Redpoll on the peanuts. This number rose to about 3, then 5 and eventually into the teens towards the end of Decmber. Now I regularly count 20 in the garden!! They are the second most common birds on my feeders(first being Goldfinches but no by much).

Last winter I had 1 which visited for about a week or so. I definatly wasn't expecting anywhere near the number I get now.

Has anyone else noticed an icrease if Redpolls in their garden this year?

Here's a picture taken a while ago, to show some idea of the munbers:

 

joannec

Well-known member

• Feb 10, 2009

• #2

Lucky you; only ever seen them once in my garden, a pair stopped briefly never to be seen again.

 

R

RICHAT

Rich

• Feb 10, 2009

• #3

Razorsharp, I've posted about lesser redpoll sightings in my garden on page 9 of the "very busy at the bird feeder today" thread. Like you, I've not had redpolls here before in this garden (apart from a single bird one Spring day long ago) until this January. First one, and now up to five birds are here daily. I'm also getting up to about 20 each of goldies and siskins. All three species are feeding mainly on nyger seed.
Rich

 

razorsharp

For the Laugh

• Feb 10, 2009

• #4

I've just read your post in that 'What Birds.....' and saw the picture too, great stuff! I had three siskins in the garden, they are on the nyjer seed now and again but mostly the peanuts(probably because they can't get a look in with all the Godlfinches!)

I think lasy year must have been a good redpoll breeding year!

 

D

davydavi

davydavi

• Feb 10, 2009

• #5

During the snow and freezing temperatures here in Belfast up to last weekend. I was getting large flocks of Siskin and Redpoll feeding both on the feeders and the droppings on the patio. I only have a small back garden. At times I counted 30-40 birds. When startled some occassionally hit the window (which was alarming but luckily not fatal). All year the commonest bird to me was the Coal Tit now they seem to have dropped somewhat, I have more Blues and Greats now. One song thrush loves my hanging suet ball (just above ground level) he seems to be the only one to use it. The Starlings and the numerous Blackbirds squabble over other ground feed. Blackbirds love sliced pears (which are cheap at the moment).
If you follow this link its some pictures of the birds that were visiting me in late November. At that time I didn't even know I had Siskins and Redpolls. http://www.keithwilsonphotography.com/lakeside/
Got Keith my friend to photograph them.

 

H

Hades screech owl

Member

• Feb 11, 2009

• #6

^^ the photos your friend took are really nice. I really like the squirrel.
Congratulations on the number of Redpolls visiting. they're very pretty.

 

razorsharp

For the Laugh

• Feb 11, 2009

• #7

Fantastic photots davi. :t:. I've got the same feeder. I am actually watching 2 siskins on the feeder now, not nearly as many as the Repolls.

Yes Coal tits were common early winter last year, but like yours have declined a bit too.

 

R

RICHAT

Rich

• Feb 11, 2009

• #8

Great photos from your mate, Davydavi. Razorsharp and Davydavi, it seems Ireland, both NI and the Republic, is the place for large redpoll numbers. Also, Bananfishbones from Cheshire, and White*Kite from E Lancs have had them in their gardens. So along with mine down here in Kent, I wonder how widespread they are in gardens this year. The lesser redpoll is not in the so-called "top 50 garden birds" list, a list which includes a lot of species I'll never see in this yard. It looks as though it will have to be included soon though. It's certainly in my top 10 right now, but for you guys it seems to be your top 5.

Rich

 

White*Kite

Forever delayed

• Feb 19, 2009

• #9

Yes, the Redpoll numbers in my garden this year are higher than they have been before, I get around 10 to 12 birds every day, but had 15 this morning. I keep meaning to watch them for longer with my bins in case I get a Common amongst them, but still haven't had time for a proper look!

 

R

RICHAT

Rich

• Feb 22, 2009

• #10

Redpoll numbers increasing

I saw about 15 redpolls in the garden this morning, mostly feeding on the ground, and looking like dead leaves in the wind, beneath goldfinch nyger feeders. And, to my surprise, one was a paler and larger specimen, presumably an example of the so-called (and badly called I might add) common redpoll. The lesser redpoll seems to have displaced goldfinch, siskin, and chaffinch as the most abundant bird in this garden now. Numbers are increasing day by day. But as for the bramblings - no trace of them in recent days.

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2009

razorsharp

For the Laugh

• Feb 22, 2009

• #11

Redpoll numbers still stable in my garden, around twenty of them still, hopefully a sign of good fortune for these great little brown jobs.

 

Birdbrain

"Birders do it in the Field"

• Feb 23, 2009

• #12

I had up to 8 in my garden last month, they stayed for about two weeks ?
Not seen them since ?

 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder

• Feb 23, 2009

• #13

Don't get a great deal of bird life at my current address but at my previous address I used to get birds galore. Unfortunately, I only ever had one Redpoll (Lesser) in the garden and that was very brief.

 

razorsharp

For the Laugh

• Jul 25, 2009

• #14

Still getting redpolls in the garden now. Thought they would have left over the summer but there still here. Not in the great numbers they once were but there seems to be a constant flow of them, I'm really glad to have them, guess there a permanent feature now. Can't really tell if there bringing chicks in, guessing they would be of similar colour to the parents, but haven't seen any begging going on. Haven't been around for a couple of months so had someone else to re-fill the feeders so don't really know exactly what they've been doing.

 

Davebutterflyman

Well-known member

• Aug 4, 2009

• #15

Started to get Redpoll in the Alder two winters ago and last December this had increased to four individuals so will be looking out for more this coming winter.

Dave.