MA - February notes on Redpolls 5 : 'Hoary-like' individuals

 

1a. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

Superficially very like Hoary Redpoll but I found the streaking on the auricular, flank and undertail coverts enough to question it.

In addition, the head and bill 'jizz' gave more of a flammea impression. Three more shots of the same bird appear below (1b, 1c and 1d). 

A self imposed quest to find Hoary Redpolls in Whately often led me to birds that appeared very Hoary-like in the field but after review of the photos at home I decided, at least for the time being, not to include them in the overall tally. Birds such as the three individuals featured here were present in numbers on each visit last week and I'm really not sure what to make of them. They left me with more questions than solid identifications and in this respect I'd have to admit to being happy only with the 'cleanest' examples of Hoary Redpoll. 

Again I'm open to comment and guidance on any of these birds, but they do appear to fall a little short of my understanding of birds showing a solid set of Hoary Redpoll characteristics. 

1b. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

Superficially very like Hoary Redpoll. Admittedly very white rumped but questionable streaking on the auricular, flank and undertail coverts.

1c. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

Head and bill 'jizz'  give more of a flammea impression with a fairly long pointed bill, and lacking the often reported 'bull-necked' impression of Hoary.

1d. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

Head and bill 'jizz'  in profile giving more a flammea like impression. Fairly heavily streaked flanks. 

2a. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 12th, 2021.

A tricky individual again superficially suggestive of Hoary Redpoll with fairly clean undertail coverts and a broad band of white across the rump. 

the flank streaking, while certainly obvious, isn't think especially broad or heavy. 

2b. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 12th, 2021.

2c. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 12th, 2021.

2d. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 12th, 2021.

This is the same individual as in 2a, 2b and 2c. Much more flammea like in this shot with a distinct brown cast to the upperparts

and a flammea like bill shape. 

3a. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

One of the more striking examples and a bird that looked very good for Hoary in the field.

3b. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

One of several birds from the big influx on the 9th that I found very compelling. 

Very Hoary-like on first impressions but appears to show very narrow wing bars and rather heavily streaked undertail coverts for that species? 

3c. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

Overall cold gray and white with very narrow flank streaking but are the undertail coverts too heavily streaked for a solid Hoary Redpoll?

3d. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

3e. 'Hoary-like' Redpoll (Acanthis exilipes/flammea) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

Overall 'jizz' looks very good for Hoary Redpoll but do the rather heavily streaked undertail coverts and weak wing bar rule it out?

Again, all the images (3 a - e) are of the same bird taken within a few seconds of each other. 

MA - February notes on Redpolls 4 : flammea (more variation).

 

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea (male) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 11th, 2021. 

No problems with well marked birds such as this. Bright crimson-red throat, fore-cheeks, breast and upper breast sides along with a fairly long pointed bill,

and heavily streaked flanks, that's as well as an overall brownish-gray cast to the upperparts - surely pointing to an adult male flammea? 

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea (male) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 11th, 2021. 

Somewhat similar to the male featured above. 

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea  - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021. 

Quite cold gray-brown tones on this bird which has a small blackish bib and rather heavily streaked flanks. 

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 10th, 2021. 

This bird looked Hoary-like in the field and was as gray and white as it appears in these two images (above and below). The rump was mostly white but with obvious streaking 'bleeding' from the lower back and the uppertail coverts. The images also show reasonably well marked flank streaking and multiple streaks on the undertail coverts. The bill length and shape also look more in keeping with flammea. This was a tricky bird in the field but I came away with features that better matched a pale, gray flammea rather than exilipes.

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 10th, 2021. 

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 8th, 2021. 

Probably the coldest, whitest-gray flammea that I noted during the whole week. It seemed to lack any brown, ochre or crimson tones. The rump was very white 

as were the undertail coverts (showing a small amount of black streaking) However, the fairly heavily streaked flanks, long pointed bill plus head shape appear to favor Common Redpoll A. fl. flammea. 

The larger, 'bull-necked' redpoll buried deeper into the tangle looks better for a Hoary Redpoll A. e. exlipes.

MA - February notes on Redpolls 3 : flammea (variants)

Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 12th, 2021.

Relatively lightly streaked auriculars and a hint of caramel-ochre coloring around the face and upper breast sides, as well as relatively 

light streaking on the undertail coverts. 

From a Franklin County perspective, the current incursion of winter finches has produced relatively few Hoary Redpolls. This certainly hasn't been down to a lack of effort and I don't mind admitting that I'm a little surprised as I was expecting/hoping that careful sorting through redpoll flocks would have turned up more than we've actually seen. On the other hand, the search for Hoaries has been a stark reminder of the somewhat bewildering variation within flocks of Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea flammea. Last week I spent a lot of time observing birds much like this one featured in Whately, primarily because of their overall similarity to some Hoary Redpolls but also because some, like this particular bird, were incredibly approachable. Seen at distance with other redpolls, it did stand out as being pale and somewhat Hoary-like. Watching at closer range, I was surprised how many of the features changed with posture and attitude, especially the undertail coverts which appeared only lightly streaked at some angles but well outside the acceptable range for Hoary Redpoll in others. The bill and head shape looked fairly typical for a Common Redpoll. 

This pages features the same individual Common Redpoll with images taken within a few seconds of each other, and without any adjustments to camera settings or photoshop use. 

Overall quite pale, grayish and white with white fringes to the flight and tail feathers plus a suggestion of a white rump and relatively lightly streaked undertail coverts. 

Still appears quite white from below but with multiple dark shaft streaks visible on the undertail coverts

along with a fairly broad blackish 'smudge' on the longest undertail covert. 

Overall quite pale and 'frosty' but the bill length and shape, flank streaking and undertail coverts point towards a  relatively pale  flammea?

A change of posture affecting how the light falls on the feathers and subsequently the overall appearance. 

Multiple streaks on the undertail coverts and rather broad, blurry streaking along the flanks. 

MA - February notes on Redpolls 2 : the Whately flock

 

Common Redpolls - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 12th, 2021. Some of the 75 birds present.

Disconcerting numbers of pale/whitish rumped birds within the Whately flocks, most of them with variable amounts of streaking on the rump. 

The fallow fields of Whately became the favored feeding haunt for fluctuating numbers of redpolls this week. While I'd noted redpolls in these fields on previous during the winter, February 6th produced only nine pretty skittish Common Redpolls so to find numbers had suddenly increased to c.300 birds on February 8th came as a genuine surprise. At that point I decided to check the flock more thoroughly and regularly with a view to keeping an eye on numbers throughout the week. February 9th was the biggest day with a minimum of 475 redpolls swirling about the fields during a winter weather event that deposited 2 - 4 inches of drizzly, wet snow over Franklin County. While the 9th was a tough day for actual observations, the fields had clearly 'sucked' in numerous redpoll flocks from the surrounding countryside that converged to form one impressive heaving mass. Numbers then dropped steadily during the remainder of the week (250 on the 10th, 120 on the 11th and 75 on the 12th). My morning session  on the 12th ended abruptly at 10:45 am when a Merlin swept through the fields dispersing the entire remaining flock of 75 birds. They headed off SW without returning. 

Common Redpolls - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 11th, 2021. Some of the 120 birds present that day.

Common Redpolls and Snow Buntings - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 10th, 2021. Some of the 250 redpolls present on that specific day.

Out of focus but certainly worthy of a second glance, notice the huge, hulking dark brown redpoll to the right and rear of the middle Snow Bunting.

Surely a candidate for A.f. rostrata? 

Common Redpolls and Snow Buntings - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021.

The biggest day of the week for numbers with some 475 redpolls present during a winter storm. 

Snow Buntings - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021. Some 120 birds arrived during the winter weather event. 

Common Redpolls - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 8th, 2021. A tiny portion of the 300 or so birds present.

The large numbers of passerines within the Whately fields became a major draw for raptors too with the regular presence of 2 - 3 Northern Harriers, 2 - 3 Red-tailed Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk as well as the previously mentioned Merlin. Aside from the redpoll flock the fields were positively flush with other passerines and, while numbers varied from day to day, it was possible to see up to 120 Snow Buntings, 35 Horned Larks, 140 American Tree Sparrows, 65 Dark-eyed Juncos, 12 Savannah Sparrows, 12 Song Sparrows and about 9 White-throated Sparrows though the latter tended to stick close the surrounding hedgerows rather than the open fields. 

Northern Harrier (male) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 9th, 2021. Hunting passerines during the winter storm. 

Merlin (female) - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 8th, 2021. 

One of several raptors with a keen interest in the large numbers of passerines foraging in the fields. 

Hoar-frosted morning - Whately, Franklin Co., MA. February 10th, 2021.