Coues' Arctic Redpoll, Beds, Jan 2011. This is a second individual in Bedfordshire this year, coming straight off the back of the highly elusive Lodge bird. This one is with only around 40 redpolls and showed very well when I went to look at it. It's interesting to note how variable the flank streaking appears to be in different shots. In some it looks very light and almost not there, but in others it shows are heavier, darker lines. Similarly the undertail coverts look totally clean in some shots, but perhaps actually show a tiny streak in others?
These are fascinating birds, and ones that have been keeping me occupied all winter so far. Most of my lunchtimes have been spend walking round The Lodge in search of that individual. However in the 40+ hours I've amassed looking through hundreds of redpolls I've only seen the Coues' twice! Very tricky blighters.
This looks very nice and much better than the lodge bird which looks Mealy-ish to me. The ear-coverts on that bird in particular seem to lack a buffy wash, the bill looks biggish and the flank streaks quite heavy, albeit not so extensive.
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