Redpolls

This female Redpoll decided to pose for me.

Of-course she had to preen for the camera.

A final inspection, to make sure every feather is in order.

Looking beautiful she steps up into the sun light and struts her pose.

Nice shots!! Always always always prunning, Need to keep each feather in tact!

One final pose.

Very Nice!

Great shots Gras!

A beautiful, adorable and sweet little bird! Wish we had them here!

Thanks for sharing all your pics!

Marilyn

Grasmussen;,,

Do the Redpolls stay year round there in Anchorage, or do they just show up for the winter months..

I don't think I've ever seen them around here in Ohio..... Nice pictures by the way..... You'll have to try and photograph one of the males if you get the chance....


....Dave

Love your redpoll shots Grasmussen. I have a small flock of about 25 here right now, usually have 100+. I don't understand where they all are this year.

Dave, the Redpolls stay here year round, but they are more plentiful in the winter. I grew up in Michigan, and we saw them in the winter. In the west-central part of the Lower Peninsula. I posted pictures of males in earlier threads, but here is another.

Over here we get Lesser Redpolls (Carduelis cabaret) all year, and variable (but usually small) numbers of Mealy Redpolls (same as yours, Carduelis flammea) in winter

Another pic of a Lesser Redpoll, underside this time

Very nice pics Resin! What type of shrub or tree is that?

Alder - a favourite winter food for redpolls and siskins. The best tree to plant if you want to attract them.

Resin

Beautiful shots! Dave, I think Redpolls are strictly northern birds - they don't get much further south than Canada on this continent. But I've been wrong before lol!

Resin, thanks so much for the reply. I didn't realize they were highly nomadic. I have always been overrun with them. Usually go through 6 x 50lb bags of nyger seed over a winter, but not this year. I am still on my first bag. They sure are tough. Even when it is -40ºC they sit huddled in the trees, barely able to hold on in the strong winds.

Enjoyed seeing your photos of the Lesser Redpolls. How cold does it get in Northumberland. I have always thought Redpolls were cold weather birds.

Lesser Redpoll is a much more temperate-adapted bird. Coldest it's been here this winter is -4°C, though this is milder than normal (we usually get down to about -7°). But having an oceanic climate, we also get cool summers, and I think that may be more important for redpolls than winter temperatures.

Resin

I have a small grove of alders at the edge of my property line (actually on the OTHER side of my property line, but I consider it mine because I begged the owner to leave it when he was clear cutting the rest of his acreage) - that must be why I have so many Siskins (that and the fact that I always have thistle out for them).

Grasmussen;,,

They probably don't get over this way unless, we were to have an extreamly cold winter then.... Another thing that might send them futher south is if their food sorces for some reason get scarce.....

Thanks for posting that picture of the male....


.....Dave

This message was edited Feb 25, 2007 12:29 PM