Monday, 29 April 2013

Our First Redpoll


The weather over the weekend wasn't anything special. It was windy most of the time with a few sunny spells and very short April showers.

The star attraction this weekend was most certainly a couple of redpolls visiting our niger seed feeder in the garden. Not only was it the first time they've visited it’s the first time I've ever seen a redpoll.

As we were busy decorating most of the weekend it was a lucky coincidence that we were having a coffee break when we spotted two unusual visitors on our feeder. Cameras were trained on the pair straight away and then it took a little Googling to check that they really were indeed redpolls.

I did manage to get some video included below but with a strong wind the little redpoll was swinging about on the feeder and getting its feathers ruffled in the process. They seemed to enjoy their niger seed so perhaps they might return for more?

Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett

Posted by Martyn at 09:54

5 comments:

  1. Jo29 April 2013 at 10:46

    I wouldn't have known what they were, I've never seen one before. It's great when new birds visit the garden.

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  2. Martyn29 April 2013 at 19:09

    Highlight of the day - but then we were decorating!

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  3. Shirley5 May 2013 at 15:29

    Hi again Martyn, I haven’t been picking up all the blogs recently so missed this. I’m delighted to hear you didn’t miss your new visitors. I can very easily picture your delight.

    Very coincidentally we saw our first Redpolls around a week before you on the 20th April and they have been visiting daily ever since. In my case I did know what I was seeing (after seeing them at a fav nature reserve visitor centre) and I couldn’t believe my eyes!

    Are your Redpolls still visiting now and have they increased in numbers – I believe ours are :-D

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    Replies
    1. Martyn5 May 2013 at 18:30

      We haven't spotted them again so far. Perhaps they just made the one visit. We have had a greater spotted woodpecker visiting this week but so far it's escaped our camera lenses. It seems to like golden chorus as supplied by Haith's.

      We'd love to be seeing more redpolls visiting but I don't think it's going to happen.

      Delete
    2. Shirley11 May 2013 at 00:05

      Aw that is a shame, being truthful I thought ours were just passing through too. It's now 3 weeks since the first Redpoll visitors. They are still seen daily and the other day I spotted one with a bit of Leucism on its back (two strong white stripes). Our garden birds can certainly keep us entertained can't they :-)

      Enjoy your Woodpecker visits - I must get some fatcake out again.

      Delete

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