Although I seem to recall frequent stories that Mealy Redpoll is to be lumped again with Lesser, according to my latest BOU British birds list it is still a tick so today's elusive individual on Waters' Edge must take me up to 111 for the year. This bird was with 4-5 Lessers and looked stocky and very grey on the upperparts with a very worn greater covert bar but well streaked whitish underparts and a pretty thick streak on the undertail coverts; although I saw it about five times during the morning it was brilliant at disappearing and always seemed to appear where I was looking into the light; I took a few record pics against the light and looking up so they are not great but as it took off it revealed a bit of its rump pattern;
I have recorded Mealy Redpoll in five of the 15 years from 1993-2007 with the last 1 or 2 birds occurring in Feb-March 2006 when a fine Arctic Redpoll was also present--here's hoping!
1 comment:
Hi Graham,
I've started preliminary work on my East Yorkshire Birdwatching blog & wondered if you are happy for me to include a link to your 2sites? We cross the Humber Bridge perhaps 20 times a year, so know Far Ings & Waters' Edge very well. I've put all the 'local' photographers together on the links list, so I hope this is OK with you. However, if you want me to list you under another title, or you wish to be removed from the links please let me know.
Cheers
Michael
http://eybirdwatching.blogspot.com/
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