Redpoll

We have so many small birds hopping around in the garden that it sometimes takes a second or two to realise that what one is looking at is something slightly unusual.  After the excitement of the grasshopper warbler on Tuesday, this lesser redpoll appeared this morning, ate a few seeds, flew up to a nut feeder to enjoy some peanuts, and then flew away.

Of the four pictures taken in the few seconds he was around, two have come out, and they show that it's a male in his full mating finery.

Redpolls aren't common in our garden.  The last time we saw them was in August.  We'd like to see many more of this very pretty little bird.