3rd January. Flammea

Today was the happiest moment of my newly married life. I didn't come home to a clean house or fresh ironed shirts. It wasn't even a delicious pie with mushy peas and Hendersons on the table, all those things though are regular enough in our house. This was something far better. After a week of decorating and Christmas over indulgence I talked Jo into a spot of birding. Orgreave was frozen solid as it has been since mid-November and had very little life. Interest however was provided by a flighty flock of Redpolls favouring the riverside birches behind the sewage works. Getting a better view I immediately picked up a frosty grey, white-wing barred black streaky flanked Mealy - an Orgreave tick no less. Trying to get Jo on the bird I described the finer parts of Mealy I.D, well you know what they say "in the land of the blind......"

No sooner had I finished my description Jo exclaimed that she'd found another! Hmmm surely not. She pointed the bird out and bugger me she had. Her bird however was better than mine a nice male with a lovely pink-flush. The flock wouldn't sit still but it didn't matter now I was well chuffed with my super birdy wife. Now as soon as I work out how to do those improper Arctic Redpolls I'll pass on my knowledge.
Meanwhile here's a proper Arctic.

A proper hard bastard Redpoll