Mealy Redpoll at Warnham LNR

Mealy Redpoll - Warnham LNR (J. Everitt)

An excellent find by Sandra Palme on Monday was this stunning Mealy Redpoll. Luckily it was still present with 15+ Lesser Redpoll for company. It is quite an easy bird to pick out from the others as it is slightly larger in size, much paler body with a nice white wing bar and gleaming white rump. I believe it to be a first-winter male due to the tail shape and several red feathers on the breast and cheeks.

Size Comparison: Lesser Redpoll (Left) - Mealy Redpoll (Right) ~ Sandra Palme

Size Comparison: Mealy Redpoll (Left) - Lesser Redpoll (Right) ~ Sandra Palme

Plenty of visitors managed to see the bird today as it showed roughly every twenty minutes. It was only seen today on the single niger feeder at the left hand side of the Woodpecker Hide feeding station. Even when other Lesser Redpoll were present feeding on the floor or on the pair of niger feeders the Mealy Redpoll seemed more at home on this feeder.

Mealy Redpoll - Warnham LNR (J. Everitt)

When the bird came in to the feeders it sadly didn't pose nicely on the logs or branches but chose to go straight down to feed. Whilst on the feeder it was possible to see the bright white rump patch on occasions when it moved position as can be seen in the photo below.

Mealy Redpoll showing white rump - Warnham LNR (J. Everitt)

Fingers crossed it will hang around for a while yet for others to enjoy. The Lesser Redpoll flock with which the bird is commuting with first visited the feeding station just before 10.00am this morning so the reserve will open as usual at 10.00am and close at 5.00pm. The bird was on show on and off all day and was last seen at 3.50pm when the flock was flushed by a Sparrowhawk. Many thanks to Sandra Palme for passing on her sighting and also for allowing me to use her superb photos.

Mealy Redpoll - Sandra Palme