Sculthorpe Moor Putative

Wednesday February 20

Sculthorpe Moor's Redpolls have become the centre of many a discussion. Was it an Arctic?  Were all the pale ones Mealy?

The Scandinavian Arctic Redpoll, or Coues’s Arctic Redpoll as it is sometimes known, breeds in Northern Europe eastwards into Siberia, extending from southern Novaya Zemlya,Finland, Sweden, Norway and in to northern Denmark. In southern Lapland, the species breeds in alpine Birch forests and overlaps with the breeding range of the Mealy Redpoll (Carduelis flammea).

Scandinavian Arctic Redpoll can be separated from a well-marked Mealy Redpoll by the following criteria -:

1) Overall whiteness of plumage, with variable amounts of light streaking on the
flanksides and predominantly gleaming white undertail coverts, often with a single
evenly narrow dark shaft-streak on the longest feather;
2) A noticeably ‘pinched-in’ short, concave bill, in contrast to the typical long, pointed
bill of Mealy. Also, the red forehead poll averages smaller;
3) A noticeable gleaming white rump, with some occasional streaking at the sides and at each end. The tail of exilipes is longer than that of Mealy;
4) Cloaked feathering on the nape feathers and much white saturation in the mantle;
Mealies often show white ‘tram-lines’ but do not have such intense white ground
colouration;
5) Cloaked feathering on the tarsi but this feature overlaps with a good proportion of
Mealies;
6) Slightly bulkier and heavier than Mealy, especially around the nape, with an
extensive pure white greater covert wing bar and white fringes to the flight feathers
and tertials; Mealy Redpolls are often grey or buff marked in these areas.
Additionally, the ear coverts of exilipes are almost concolorous with the rest of the
head whereas Mealy Redpoll is invariably darker on the ear coverts;
7) Separation from a well-marked grey Mealy Redpoll is very difficult and with some
individuals may be impossible but generally these will have a dark-streaked pale
rump, mantle tramlines, a much stouter bill and more streaks on the sides and on the
undertail.
8) Again, some Icelandic Northwestern Redpolls can approach this appearance but are generally much more heavily streaked, much longer-billed and darker streaked on
the upperparts and on the rump. They are also much larger.

Confused?  

We arrived before mid morning to find a full car parking area near the volunteers portakabin - to which we are allowed to drive. I picked up a free wheelchair so that I could be sure of a seat, pushed it round the corner of the boardwalk finding the bench had room for two. Two people were stood in the only space where the chair fitted. I had to park it in front of the bench, hoping that there was enough room for passing wheelies. 

Ten minutes passed without a single bird appearing on or near the two long, niger seed filled, hanging feeders. A cheerful wave heralded the approach of Sue and Ian who failed to see THE bird yesterday but, believed that they had succeeded this morning. Whilst chatting, Redpolls flew into the top of the alder trees before flitting down to the feeders, where they stayed for at least ten minutes. I took many photographs, hoping for one which was sharp enough to study, as they were some distance away for a 300mm lens on a cloudy day. There were aslo a couple of Siskins present, a species Pam had previously missed.

This reminds me of 'Good, Better, Best' on the Antiques Roadshow.

I believe that the feeder holds Siskin, 1 Mealy Redpoll, one Lesser Redpoll and one pretty convincing Arctic Redpoll.

Some more photos.........

Our second Treecreeper  ascended an adjoining tree.

Our next target was Courtyard Farm, where large flocks of Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings had been reported. We found flocks of Chaffinches and Goldfinches in the many weedy set-aside areas of this organic farm but, not the birds for which we searched. Even better for me was the Rough-legged Buzzard, which attracted my attention by hovering, before flying away across a ridge, showing its white tail with the banded end.

An extremely low tide at Brancaster Staithe did not keep us long.

The sun's appearance, together with the hazel catkins which adorn the hedgerows, reminded me that Spring is on its way. This photo show a single female flower, an inconspicuous red tuft.

Cockthorpe airfield was the last call and, at last, success. A Little Owl hid very successfully underneath, and at the far end of, the 13 A roof coping.