Ben M
Well-known member
Mealy (hold mouse pointer over photos for image filenames) - originally thought adult female, but just reread original post...
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Yorkshire Redpolls (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter DOC REED
- Start date
Ben M
Well-known member
For those interested, this article contains details of other invasion years:
http://www.albaecology.co.uk/birdscot/docs/article1-4.htm
http://www.albaecology.co.uk/birdscot/docs/article1-4.htm
Wow - I know I can't judge size etc. from a photo, but I think I would have passed this off as a Lesser in the field. So Common can have a dark rump?
What do you think about this bird - seen at Redhouse? My initial view was Lesser, but now I'm not sure given the paler head tones. Clearly not as frosty as some of the Common up at Redhouse.
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wolfbirder
Well-known member
I have added another pic of that 2nd bird. It was getting breezy and the feathers are blowing all over the place. You can see, though, that it is certainly NOT an Arctic!!
Certainly no Arctic :-C
Can see that now.
darrenward
Ace's High
The variation I have observered this year is massive in the rump area, we/Andy even had one Common with a full pink rump, just like a male Twite!
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
1st winter male Coues' Arctic Redpoll - Not so typical
Just done a blog post on one of the less 'typical' Coues' Arctic Redpolls that has spent the winter at Rainton Meadows DWT. At present it is the only bird I know that is being seen on a fairly regular basis:
http://andrewkinghorn.blogspot.com/2011/03/1st-winter-male-coues-arctic-redpoll.html
Cheers,
Just done a blog post on one of the less 'typical' Coues' Arctic Redpolls that has spent the winter at Rainton Meadows DWT. At present it is the only bird I know that is being seen on a fairly regular basis:
http://andrewkinghorn.blogspot.com/2011/03/1st-winter-male-coues-arctic-redpoll.html
Cheers,
vwxyzen
swillybirder
Nice one Andrew.
wolfbirder
Well-known member
Like to see other photos Doc.
Newton Stringer
Well-known member
Head looks quite mealy to me in this single shot, and is that some red I can see lurking in the cheeks there ?
Very difficult to judge from 1 pic tho, as wolfie says (sorry wolfbirder), more pics would help.
Syrphus
Member
Is this white enough for you!!
Looks like a Mealy to me...on beak and head colour (and I think that there may be more streaking on under tail coverts than there appears ?
How about this one, from The Icelandic Birding Pages! An unusual Common Redpoll, to say the least!
http://notendur.hi.is/yannk/myndir/rarity/oo_carfla230211.jpg
Looks like a Mealy to me...on beak and head colour (and I think that there may be more streaking on under tail coverts than there appears ?
How about this one, from The Icelandic Birding Pages! An unusual Common Redpoll, to say the least!
http://notendur.hi.is/yannk/myndir/rarity/oo_carfla230211.jpg
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schiffornis
AWBirder
Thats pretty smart!!!!
Ben M
Well-known member
I'd say it's a Lesser, Steve. Are there any pro-Mealy features?
Think I'm correct in saying that the browner rumped Mealy birds are females, which are more difficult to separate from Lesser, but you'd expect to see more contrast on the face, with pale super, distinct ear coverts, extensive dark bib, and also a broader white wing bar.
Newton Stringer
Well-known member
Perhaps of interest, a couple more mealy redpoll pics from Rainton Meadows (taken yesterday), including a brown bird (presumably a dull 1st winter fem mealy).
Brown birds can be a real challenge. Many of the browner mealys seem to show bright mantle straps, cleaner ground colour to the flanks/underparts, pale rumps, and perhaps more greyish tones in some areas too (ear coverts etc). Some aren't that obvious tho, and some are virtually impossible. This bird was big (dwarfing the lessers), and appeared large billed, and pale rumped, otherwise it was brown !
Brown birds can be a real challenge. Many of the browner mealys seem to show bright mantle straps, cleaner ground colour to the flanks/underparts, pale rumps, and perhaps more greyish tones in some areas too (ear coverts etc). Some aren't that obvious tho, and some are virtually impossible. This bird was big (dwarfing the lessers), and appeared large billed, and pale rumped, otherwise it was brown !
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Newton Stringer
Well-known member
wolfbirder
Well-known member
I would have thought that 2nd bird has potential to be a 1stW or female Coues?
Newton Stringer
Well-known member
Hi Wolfbirder.
It has an obvious white rump, but that's about it tbh.
It's head was typically flammea (obvious contrasty ear coverts, and lacking that small-billed appearance exilipes can often show when relaxed), the upperpart ground colour was that 'mealy brown' as oppose to that lighter sandy/buffy brown you would expect for most 1st yr exilipes......... Oh.... and it had 2 thick arrowheads on the UTCs too !
I'm no expert but I assume this bird is probably a 1st year male flammea. It shows the white rump (with a few streaks/flecks) and reduced flank streaking suggesting a male, but is lacking the red that you might expect to see on adult males.
If you want a redpoll to properly mess with your head, check out the structure on this thing ! Taken at Rainton a couple of weeks ago.
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wolfbirder
Well-known member
Hi Wolfbirder.
It has an obvious white rump, but that's about it tbh.
It's head was typically flammea (obvious contrasty ear coverts, and lacking that small-billed appearance exilipes can often show when relaxed), the upperpart ground colour was that 'mealy brown' as oppose to that lighter sandy/buffy brown you would expect for most 1st yr exilipes......... Oh.... and it had 2 thick arrowheads on the UTCs too !
I'm no expert but I assume this bird is probably a 1st year male flammea. It shows the white rump (with a few streaks/flecks) and reduced flank streaking suggesting a male, but is lacking the red that you might expect to see on adult males.
If you want a redpoll to properly mess with your head, check out the structure on this thing ! Taken at Rainton a couple of weeks ago.
Yep......this bird too !! I have no idea but as you say it has Arctic features.
Any confidence i previously had gained with redpolls has dissipated just as quickly, certainly regards the string of border line redpolls seen this winter.
If the bird I mentioned indeed has 2 broad UTC's that would appear to be it. I have seen photos of 1stW Coues with equally dark brown upperparts as Mealies. The bill and streaking, from what I can tell from the photo, are borderline. I know Mealies can show white rumps like this, but surely its unusual for 1stW mealies? I give up!! :-C
