ML613123639

Age and sex

Unknown age, Male - 1

Observation details

At around 11:30 DJB and CG were walking along the south bank of Ogden Reservoir. In the alders here were encountered a mixed finch flock, which contained some 20+ Redpoll. The birds were showing well, although the light was not good, and we were able to filter through the entire flock without too much issue. Our attention was brought to a bird at the back of the flock, which struck us as being slightly larger but noticeably greyer than the other birds in the flock. We considered that the bird was likely a Mealy Redpoll, but that photos and better views would be needed to confirm the identification. Frustratingly, the flock moved on after this, and although they came back not long after, we struggled to relocate the bird. Helpfully, it was immediately recognisable due to the differences in its plumage, not only the greyer tones to its mantle, but also the bright pinkish wash on the breast. However, on each occasion we refound the bird, it remained obscured or against the light, and we had only limited success obtaining photos. From the views and photos we were able to get, the bird gave the impression of being larger, and was certainly more greyer in tone than the accompanying Lesser Redpolls. The top wing-bar was clean white, and the second wing-bar was almost the same, with just some dull drown colouration near the flanks. The flanks were not brown, but more a dull grey. In photos obtained by CG, the undertail coverts are pure white, with black arrowheads, which the Birding Frontiers Challenge Series describes as lacking in Lesser. Consulting with other birders came up with a response of being confident that the bird was a Mealy Redpoll.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS R5

Lens

RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

ISO

10000

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/7.1

Shutter speed

1/400 sec

Dimensions

1986 pixels x 1324 pixels

Original file size

1.61 MB