Redpolls

A bumper haul this morning. I was a bit late leaving home so I decided to take the direct route via Ferry Meadows. A good decision and I ended up seeing 50 species on the way to work including a Water Rail calling on the reserve as well as the year ticks mentioned here.

The Redpoll flock was along the cycleway at Orton Water between the golf course and the railway. Several of the Lesser Redpolls were singing but the first bird I saw well was a female Mealy Redpoll feeding in a larch right by the track. Quite a pale bird with white, lightly streaked undertail coverts and whitish tramlines leading to a pale rump.

A Chiffchaff singing here was the second of the morning after another at Heron Meadow.

93 Chiffchaff
94 Lesser Redpoll
95 Mealy Redpoll

The addition of things like a Little Egret roosting on the island at Orton BP on the way home brought the day's total to 60 species just cycling to and from work.