A short blog to share some pictures of some Lesser Redpolls we've been catching at our Dartmoor site.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQy0dYWldNiZRIrxyJtfAHt3E533vq_zd9Rlqjxl6PuHQg1ffShlVME7P5yPixBV1dCViUU8PH1xtBFhcEHIYKZoaDYeooeC3R35nxtf3AERpmEc156Fav_mg-x1WjZ94TnvH5_aT_jVA/s400/DSC_5143.jpg) |
Tail and primary tips of a bird born this year |
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC-E8y_hMrTkJY_FON3eWVzJwAibVd3Hz5orKFnBeTQsoo6RSIE6V4041V-nVQC3zgQiWNfLtkEUcYHffwWovoWWAguo_1P-B5dlNNNW7eKOiSBHreuz6UDww3TZUPCy9T2w_1OrK__8/s400/DSC_5126.jpg) |
Tail and primary tips of an adult |
You can see from the pictures above how much fun it can be to age these birds: in effect you're looking for evidence of wear on the tips of the tail feathers and primaries. You'll also notice the broad fringes and darker base-colour of the adult bird's feathers: this is basically due to the better quality feathers that adults grow, compared with the feathers that young birds grow in the nest.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9xOk8voFUPfirs6BQY-e6MIujnFNsaKyZvbouUHgL33ahqJSTMT5cOMztSmcRnuVbMj6qrEJvv7ZGZ_oz5FJG5QnjRsYQhy1OaP0obMvKtf3qd9_2E2YE7LjTPv4RUBwgIujK3p-Kb4/s400/DSC_5139.jpg) |
A nice crisp adult (perhaps a female) with a good hint of a pale rump. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDa9Y-fp6bdUO1WTm-2MYiwlTzLeVpXdNbXHydEhsycWz5_1TB9yLBVjbXL2XvHJ_kG6HoKXC-CAn0edC9DWFLirv7lW2VDmRQ77eWdXdoaQjsoIrSvhmZLf5tRByGjXC7iQOGjI_QL0/s400/DSC_5142.jpg) |
A particularly dark young bird with very pale retained greater coverts (the white feather-tips across the wing) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0loJ6x8oVsMOBcjeyFd6Kj4EfUIWiKkYjd1mUqmXLyYTo0ZNHFen0Gsn3SVI_XtMCfqAtqyITwaDJJl83AkM43JPZ3qWb0pWVQSsBpt_CDThaQ4UekdiJKb55XBOoBlA50fwkhCXuSv4/s400/DSC_5151.jpg) |
A full-on adult male, ringed in 2010 at a nearby site by a friend, and retrapped by us recently. Not the best picture, unfortunately, but he was pink everywhere: cheeks, chin, rump, breast, flanks... smart. |
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