Lancashire hotspot !

Just had an email from Mark Breaks in Lancashire who was wondering if by any chance a ringed Common Redpoll (top pic) that arrived in his garden at Newton in Bowland, Clitheroe yesterday might be one of mine. Mark managed to read the ring in the field and a quick check revealed it was the above 1st winter bird caught here on March 12th ! First recovery of a bird ringed here this winter, 250km NW! Thanks Mark for the email and pic !

Already ringed ...

This first winter Lesser Redpoll (L625259) was caught on March 19th 2011 and was previously ringed elsewhere, awaiting details.

This first winter Common Redpoll (X648551) was caught on March 27th 2011 having been initially ringed only a few days before at the Lodge RSPB reserve.

Iffy Chiffy from Norway

Just got the control details back from the above Chiffchaff wearing a Norwegian ring that I caught at Buckton on October 11th 2010. It was ringed 23 days before and had travelled some 1324km in SSW direction from Aglam, Namsos, Nord-Trondeleg - 100 miles N of Trondheim, Norway. Ok, great BUT after spending ages carefully looking at the age of the bird, it appears I got it wrong... I had it as an adult.

Yellowpoll !

A little surprised when I caught and ringed this individual (L963101) on March 15th - it had a yellow poll ! I have heard of this before in Linnets, but back to the books for the reason !

Redpoll tally now over 170 birds with 18 Common's.

Another Redpoll Control

This bird (V204887) which I retrapped with Ed Green on March 12th was originally ringed as an adult female near Drigg Dunes, Ravenglass, Cumbria on July 23rd 2010. So this is an adult tail, interesting how some of the tail feathers particularly 4 and 5 (2nd and 3rd in from outside) are rather pointed when the others are clearly rounded.

Warthogs and Woodlarks

Two A10 Thunderbolts dropped in to Lakenheath at lunchtime today, drowning out the sweet song of a male Woodlark that had been in display flight high over the base. Click to enlarge.

Historic Spurn

On Saturday I called in at Spurn (if that is a geographic possibility), anyway I went to have a look at the warren heligoland trap in preparation for ours at Buckton. I hadn't been to Spurn for around 5 years and the thing that struck me the most was the feeling I got of history. The trap was very educational but the ringing room was the highlight, like a working museum of pioneering Yorkshire ornithology. Thanks Paul, Adam and Gary, ideas gleaned.

A GREATer Redpoll retrap !

Another 34 new Redpolls ringed this am (4 new Common and 30 Lesser). Highlight was retrapping bird L551773 from March 5th, the possible Greenland Redpoll. Being a little more prepared paid off, incredibly this bird weighed 14.9g (Lesser Redpoll averages around 10.7 and Common 11.5g) and all measurements taken fully support the identification. A pleasure to be able to directly compare and photograph this bird with both Lesser and Common Redpoll. In the hand it was almost twice as long as the Lesser Redpoll and its bulk and dark streaking is obvious in the above images. When I released the bird it called twice, a totally different call to either Lesser or Common Redpoll, a very deep 'grough' call. If accepted then the first record for Cambridgeshire of this true northern wanderer.

Greenland Redpoll ?

A few more pics of the large dark Redpoll I caught on March 5th (see posts below).

Research suggests this bird really could be a rostrata Greenland Redpoll, it has many of the id features and is very similar to birds photographed in the USA and Northern Isles. One interesting documented feature is the fact that Greenland Redpolls have dark spurs projecting in to their white wing bars - just like this bird (top pic).

Sock it to him !

This is happening on 7 feeders at the same time whilst another group of birds are feeding on the ground below! A quick visit to the feeders and 30 birds go in to the net.

getting closer !

Twenty three new Redpolls ringed in an hour this morning including three new Common Redpolls. This bird L704720 was the pick of the bunch, a first year male with a wing of 74mm and supporting the whitest rump of the 110 birds caught so far. Along with its structure, the heavily streaked flanks and under tail coverts ruled out any thought of Arctic Redpoll. Getting closer though!

One previous owner !

A bit more Redpoll action today, had the net open at dawn and again mid afternoon resulting in an amazing 38 new birds including a minimum of 6 Common Redpolls and this bird above which is a control from as yet unknown parts - is it yours ? Interestingly I only retrapped 7 birds I had previously ringed, so birds are almost certainly moving through now. The following posts contain pictures of the most interesting individuals from today. I have now caught and ringed a total of 85 individuals.

I have now found out this bird was caught and ringed at Rye Bay, Sussex in November 2010, birds are clearly moving north.

L551773 the monster !

This bird was particularly dark, heavily streaked, long winged and massive in the hand. It was a first winter female with a wing of 77.5mm (female Lesser 67-71, fem Common 68-76). It clearly isnt a Lesser Redpoll but what is it ? Well if its a Common Redpoll then it shatters all text book conceptions! even considering that some Common Redpolls can be dark but .... what does Greenland Redpoll look like ?

L551786 The best Common yet

This bird is a first winter female Common Redpoll with a wing of 76. To be honest this is the best Common Redpoll to date, very pallid, very pale streaked rump, broad white wing bars and long wing. This was in the net alongside the bird below and as I was extracting them I was just wishing one of them would have a big unstreaked white rump!

L551787 another Common

I have this bird down in my ringing book as an adult female Common Redpoll but on reflection looking at the pointed tail tips it could well be a first winter. Its certainly another Common Redpoll though and with a wing of 73mm and lacking any red on breast and rump a female. Many of the adult male Redpolls now have beautiful red underparts. A rather classic individual.