Redpolls are ace, and it was an ace few days for them on our stretch of the coast at the end of October. With back-to-back Coues's Arctics at Filey and Bempton the day before and intriguingly variable Mealies dropping into increasingly bare late autumnal canopies, it was a challenging pleasure getting onto as many as possible and running through diagnostic (or supposedly diagnostic) features.
Despite typically occupying poorly-lit treetops, most were straightforward; others, like this bird, were less so, and from certain angles briefly flirted with the prospect of being somewhat rarer. At a push, the seemingly unmarked under-tail coverts, pale rump, frosty overall appearance, buffy breast sides and combination of (briefly-observed) other features could easily lead down an Arctic path (slope?), but as other photos (below) illustrate, well, things aren't always as they seem, particularly where redpolls are concerned.
