Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret)

Another rare visitor to the garden today, again from the finch family.  The lesser redpoll is on the conservation red list so it is particularly interesting to see two in the garden today.  On reading up on these birds, apparently they are more likely to be seen on garden feeders in late winter and early spring because the seed stocks that they mainly feed on have been depleted in the natural environment.  It is probably why the siskins have also been making so many visits to the garden over the last few weeks.

I wanted to pop into the chemist when it opened this morning to collect a prescription, so I stayed in the swimming pool for longer than usual.  In the end I swam 114 lengths (2850 metres) in an hour.  I'm just glad I have some headphones I can listen to music as I swim.