Common "Mealy" Redpoll 3
Lesser Redpoll 10
Year 177 (Coue's Arctic Redpoll)
We were in Macclesfield for first light hoping to see the Coue's Arctic Redpoll. At about 6:30am We saw a bird which we were unsure about at the time, but now having looked at the photos and compared them to those of the bird which are available elsewhere on the internet, it clearly is the Coue's that we saw. We also saw a few nice Mealys.
Photos were very difficult given the dark position of the feeders and the poor early morning light. However, below are a selection showing the pale bird which I consider to be the Coue's. Notice how pale it looks compared to the Lesser Redpolls, how small its bill looks and how white its underparts are. I'm happy with the id, but any opinions welcome.
It's the bird on the right. Notice how white its underparts are compared to the bird on the left (which I think is a Mealy).
Now its the bird in the middle. Notice how small the bill looks and how big, bull necked and pale it is compared to the bird on the right, which is a Lesser.
Notice the white mark under the eye. This is not a feature of species, but it is a feature of the Coue's in Macclesfield and it is obvious in other photos of the bird on Bird Guides. Notice also how small its bill is compared to.......
This Mealy Redpoll.
Lesser Redpoll (left) and Mealy Redpoll (right). Notice the size difference!
I was the guy you spoke to at the redpoll site today (I mentioned your American black tern). I was videoing the VERY BIRD you show in your photos at the same time. The small bill, added to the white under parts and the white eye mark, lead me to agree with your ID. My video shows the breast streak pattern on the birds right side near the white wing bars match other shots of the bird on the web. Just a pity we didn't get a view of its white rump! Nice to speak to you today, David Kennedy from Runcorn.
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem much doubt about it to me. The folks on Bird Forums don't seem to agree, but most of the problems they put forward could equally apply to most of the other photos of the bird which are available on the internet. It's the Coue's for me, no doubt.
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