Messy eaters

We have observed these birds since March and pleased to see juveniles on the Nyjer seed last week. They flit on and off the feeder disappearing instantly making it difficult to capture them off the feeder. This is the first year we have used Nyjer seed and to know Redpoll are visiting on a daily basis makes the effort worth while, it will be interesting to see if they stay in the garden, the information below indicates they may.


From the internet:
Lesser Redpoll
This tiny finch – only slightly bigger than a blue tit – is streaky and brown with patches of red on its head and sometimes its breast. They like to hang upside down to feed in trees. It has recently been 'split' from the mealy (or common) redpoll, a larger and paler species which is a winter visitor to the UK.

They breed in woodland, but also visit gardens. Lesser redpolls can be seen dangling from tiny twigs in birch and alder trees, or perhaps on shrub stems. This is a widespread breeding species in Scotland, northern and eastern England and Wales. It is less common in central, southern and south-west England, but does occur in these places in winter.

In many areas, winter is the easiest time to see lesser redpolls, after the trees have lost their leaves. Their breeding population has declined and they're much less common than they once were.