Cutteslowe: 20th February

For the past week my garden has been visited by up to 30 Redpolls which has been very instructive. The birds have shown significant variation in overall colour, whitish rumps, tramlines, red/pink breasts, flank streaks etc, two birds have had rings, two birds have shown no poll at all, and two birds have shown a 'yellow poll'. The ringing info for the photo above - 'BPJ0679'  a first year bird ringed at Thorpe Marsh, South Yorkshire on 27.9.25. The largest 'grey' Redpoll with white wing bars may have passed the ID test for a Mealy in the old days.