Coues' Arctic Redpoll

The following shots show a Coues' Arctic Redpoll at The Lodge, 5th January 2011.

It was identified using the following criteria:

* Large size, with a bull-necked appearance

* Small bill which appears parallel sided

* Cream wash to head and chest

* Relatively light flank streaking, which does not reach beyond the wing-bar

* Broad white wing-bar, with no real hint of buff

* Large white rump, with little streaking

* Single, thin, under-tail streak

Appears thick-necked when compared to the (apparent) Lesser Redpoll in front:

Note the area of the white rump:

In this image it is next to a grey Mealy. Straight away you can see the different ground colour to the two birds. The flank streaking reaches much further down the flanks in the Mealy, and is heavier:

Here you can see the single, thin, undertail covert streak:

This bird is the culmination of around two months chasing the redpoll flocks at The Lodge. Observers of this bird (other than myself) included Mark Eaton, Mark Gurney, and Mark Ward. All helped in its identification and have spent many hours searching for these birds since they arrived in November.