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Birding In Staffordshire (2 Viewers)

Hi Neil

The birds in photos 2 and 4 could possibly be Common (Mealy) Redpolls, but it would be helpful to see them side-on to try to assess the colour tones of the upperparts, flanks, wingbars, etc. Also if you have any photos of the paler birds side by side with the browner looking birds, that would also provide a useful comparison :t:

Our 'British' Lesser Redpolls tend to be quite buff and brown overall, whereas the Scandinavian Common (Mealy) Redpolls are much frostier overall, being particularly grey-brown around the face and the back of the head. Other differences include paler grey brown back with whitish streaking (or tramlines), whitish rump, cleaner whiter underparts, and larger/bulkier size compared to our Lesser Redpolls.

There have been quite a lot of Mealy Redpolls around nationally, so it's worth studying your birds more closely - I'd certainly love to see more photos :t:

Cheers
Steve

Cheers for that Steve, I will post some pictures with side views later. You are also most welcome to come around and see for yourself, as many others on this thread have done. As far as I can see (knowing very little about colour/age of Redpolls) there are at least 3 distinctive variations of the birds I get in my garden.
1. The brownish/buff overall looking Lesser Redpoll
2. The Pinkish/red colour (Mealy Redpoll)?
3. The very pale, almost White underparts redpoll.??
 
The best you can do is to keep it warm and make sure it has access to food and water. Warmth is the key.

my parents wont let me bring it in the house, might smuggle it in later though. it doesn't appear injured maybe just a little bit stunned, possibly hit a window or had a close encounter with a sparrowhawk?
just checked the rspca website, it says take it to the vets, but with no visible injuries i cant see what they can do for it. just thought will they charge?
 
Sorry Adam, I think I deleted the folder from my PC after viewing the photo's with you.
 
Side view redpolls

Hi Steve, here are some sideviews of the Redpolls.
The very pale looking one seemed to be around 1-1.5cm bigger than the others. Also note on the very pale one (picture 2) how big the white eyebrow is, it also looks like a tuft, very striking and much larger than all the others. Regards. Neil.
 

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my parents wont let me bring it in the house, might smuggle it in later though. it doesn't appear injured maybe just a little bit stunned, possibly hit a window or had a close encounter with a sparrowhawk?
just checked the rspca website, it says take it to the vets, but with no visible injuries i cant see what they can do for it. just thought will they charge?

Yes, they will charge, their standard consultation charge plus any treatment.
I kept avairy birds for many years and there are various reasons for sick birds but I'd guess your Sparrow is hungry and exhausted with this weather.
I had a heat lamp in an indoor cage and most would recover miraculously.
I would try to get it to feed on fat soaked seed.
Hope you go on all right Adam.
 
Hi Steve, here are some sideviews of the Redpolls.
The very pale looking one seemed to be around 1-1.5cm bigger than the others. Also note on the very pale one (picture 2) how big the white eyebrow is, it also looks like a tuft, very striking and much larger than all the others. Regards. Neil.

Hi Neil

Thanks for posting more photos - all of the birds in your photos still look a bit too brown and buff to be Common (Mealy) Redpolls, but I could easily be wrong, as birds can always appear slightly different in photos compared to real life!

Keep posting more photos though :t:

Cheers
Steve
 
So I am basically looking for a greyer bird altogether for it to be a Mealy Redpoll?

Is the very pale whitish one the same species as the reddish/pink and buff coloured ones because the side view shows a very similar colour. As I have stated, this pale bird is noticably a bigger bird altogether. Neil.
 
So I am basically looking for a greyer bird altogether for it to be a Mealy Redpoll?

Is the very pale whitish one the same species as the reddish/pink and buff coloured ones because the side view shows a very similar colour. As I have stated, this pale bird is noticably a bigger bird altogether. Neil.

Greyer, yes basically, but it's not quite that straightforward...the redpoll family are notorious for throwing up individuals that don't neatly fit with any species! I'd suggest googling for some photos of Mealy Redpolls.

All of your birds probably are the same species (Lesser Redpoll), the differences in plumage and size being due to sex and age.
 
Photos From Whitemore Haye

Hi all,

Here are a few pics I took at the weekend when I visited Whitemore Haye which I thought I would share.
 

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Great pics there Dean, particularly like the Dunnock shot, you are half expecting (by it's pose and posture) to hear the sound..."Cuckoo" to come from it.
 
Hi Steve, here are some sideviews of the Redpolls.
The very pale looking one seemed to be around 1-1.5cm bigger than the others. Also note on the very pale one (picture 2) how big the white eyebrow is, it also looks like a tuft, very striking and much larger than all the others. Regards. Neil.

The first one looks like a Mealy to me.
 
the sparrow died today, i think it was just an old bird on it's way out. i just brought it some mealworms and i made a small bowl out of tin foil last night for water, but i think it would have died no matter what.
adam
 
Have the roads upto " Freda`s grave" reopened.

The rangers closed off the roads onto the chase on Sunday because of the number of people getting stuck in the snow, anybody know if they have reopened them. Hawfinches x 4 present last week, would`nt mind another chance to photograph them, attached are a couple taken last week. Thanks in advance.
 
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