common redpoll

Just because we're *drinking* under the table, doesn't mean we've drunk ourselves under the table! Greenfinches and Redpoll drinking and bathing in a puddle under a picnic table. Wasn't much light under there, and I wasn't quick enough to shift the exposure from what I'd had for the bathing Blue...

I just noticed when picking pics to post today that the Redpoll on the right is much paler and finer-streaked than those I usuall see. Have I caught an Arctic (aka Hoary) Redpoll without realizing it? Or is this just a paler Common? I don't dare list it as Hoary yet, but if you folks concur then...

We pretty much only see these in Winter. Not so many this year as in other recent winters. Hopefully just one of those random population swings ...?

Had four drop in yesterday. They all landed on a muddy patch of the melting yard and started grazing there. They didn't seemed too concerned with me and let me get relatively close.

Had two Redpolls on our Birdbath late afternoon yesterday. One flew off before I could get my camera ready. New Garden Tick. Distant shot. TTW.

Had one come visit just before Christmas in Dec. Just one lone Redpoll in a flock of American Goldfinches. Don't see these birds very often. The last time in any numbers was an eruption in 2015.

Flew in to eat some leftover seeds on shrubs near my house. A minute later, they were gone

Hello, I saw this bird in downtown Toronto today (Dec 13, 2020). It was with a flock of common redpolls so I assumed it was the same, but I was reviewing the photos and this bird seems paler and has a much less streaky sides, which makes me think maybe it is a hoary redpoll. I uploaded the photo...

Sorry BF friends. Still some catching up to do, and we'll be visiting friends tonight so I may not catch up until tomorrow. But I didn't want to miss Saturday Fun when I had a theme ready - a whole bunch of accidental flight shots. Wish they'd been in better focus, but they are still fun :D

I'm hoping to be able to shout something joyful in another couple of hours ... or days ... If not over the election results, then perhaps because the Redpolls come back for another visit in my garden.

... then there was the other half of the flock, who were nibbling the mortar out of the brick wall of the church. I mentioned this when I posted some of the pics on FB and my daughter (who's a biologist) sent me an article offering two theories about what gets birds to do this. One is that...

... or preening, another ordinary Redpoll behavior. But ...

I hinted that the Redpolls were engaging in some interesting behavior, but we'll start with the ordinary stuff - Redpolls eating birch seeds by picking apart the catkins. About half the flock were in the birch trees, either eating or ...

Their Norwegian name means "grey siskin". We call the other ones "green siskin". Neither name really fits all that well. And confusingly, we call Lesser Redpolls "brown siskin" - so when we see flocks of Common Redpolls, all of whom are more brown than grey, we have...

I think I did see the Redpolls at least one more time later on, a big flock of them in fact. But they just landed in the neighbors' birch and then took off again. I don't think I got any further Redpoll shots this winter season.

the Siskin tried a (literally) different approach.

The Siskin seems rather exasperated with how long the Redpoll is taking at the feeder ;)

Although her cheeks are a bit brownish, I'm pretty sure this one is a Common, given how white her underparts are.

Too bad about the blurred twig stealing all the bright red away from his red poll, but that blushing breast really shows off well in this shot |=)|

Finally one of the Redpolls landed closer to the guest room windows. Not the best light, sadly, but still a nice wintry image.