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Norfolk birding (45 Viewers)

Re Pale Common Redpoll, Titchwell RSPB

There are photos of the bird in question taken on sunday on Surfbirds Scarce. It is certainly very striking and certainly demands further scrutiny. Having spent some time looking at it in the field and at my photos, I would note the following pro-common features: the undertail feathers have two feathers with dark shafts - one very fine, the other somewhat thicker - though viewing them is partly made more difficult by the odd state of the tail feathers; the flank streaking looks a little too strong for a Scandivian Arctic redpoll; the bill is quite strong.

It is a big, thickly feathered bird, but at the extreme end of Common rather than an Arctic in my opinion. I would only add, as a caveat, that I didn't get good views of the rump.

But well worth looking for!

Sean Nixon
 

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Sean Nixon said:
There are photos of the bird in question taken on sunday on Surfbirds Scarce. It is certainly very striking and certainly demands further scrutiny. Having spent some time looking at it in the field and at my photos, I would note the following pro-common features: the undertail feathers have two feathers with dark shafts - one very fine, the other somewhat thicker - though viewing them is partly made more difficult by the odd state of the tail feathers; the flank streaking looks a little too strong for a Scandivian Arctic redpoll; the bill is quite strong.

It is a big, thickly feathered bird, but at the extreme end of Common rather than an Arctic in my opinion. I would only add, as a caveat, that I didn't get good views of the rump.

But well worth looking for!

Sean Nixon
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting those Sean
I believe this bird could still be within the range for 1st winter coues's so if somebody could kindly photograph the undertail and rump I'd be very grateful ;) you can't miss it, its only got half a tail
The bird in question appears to show only one narrow black shaft on the undertail and an unstreaked white rump
There is also a pale mealy present in the flock and a brown looking one, see Sean's 4th picture on surfbirds
 
Last edited:
Titchwell December 8th

Today’s highlights

Coues’s arctic redpoll – probable in alders around visitor centre but very elusive in windy conditions. Only seen briefly before lunch
Yellow browed warbler – still going strong!
Mealy redpoll – 2+ in trees around visitor centre
Spotted redshank – 10 on fresh marsh

Paul
 
i know i've been asking a few questions recently about the powers of perception but could someone please confirm that the originator of this thread is Tim Allwood not Jim Smallwood! :-O
 
With the peep puzzle focusing attention on the Cley scrapes, can anyone shed light on the origins of the pool names, Simmond's and Pat's. And who was Daukes'?!

Thanks, Rob.
 
stuart white said:
Thanks for posting those Sean
I believe this bird could still be within the range for 1st winter coues's so if somebody could kindly photograph the undertail and rump I'd be very grateful ;) you can't miss it, its only got half a tail
The bird in question appears to show only one narrow black shaft on the undertail and an unstreaked white rump
There is also a pale mealy present in the flock and a brown looking one, see Sean's 4th picture on surfbirds
Click to expand...

Stuey your bird looks interesting, but not going to proclaim what I think it is from online photos!;)

Incidentally just posted something on the Norfolk Social Thread
 
Touche said:
With the peep puzzle focusing attention on the Cley scrapes, can anyone shed light on the origins of the pool names, Simmond's and Pat's. And who was Daukes'?!

Thanks, Rob.
Click to expand...

Bernard Bishop kindly provided the following.
Major Dauke's was an ornithologist and resident of Cley who kindly paid for the hide in the mid 60s. Pat'Pool - Teacher Pat Luckett who came to North Norfolk for summer holidays and helped Billy Bishop, again financially schemed for the pool and hide.Irene Simmonds, paid for scrape and hide in the 70s. Bishop's Hide was formerly Irene's Hide. Richardson's scrape after Richard Richardson and Carter's scrape (now more of a shallow pool) after Justin Carter.
 

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