The Lesser 
Redpoll. 
(236) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Lesser ILedpoll. 
To the majority of ornithologists it 
may come as a surprise to learn that the 
charming Lesser Redpoll has firmly 
established itself as a regular breeding 
species within eight short miles of St. 
Paul’s, namely, at Ravensbourne, 
Beckenham, and a little further afield 
in the adjoining parishes of Bromley and 
Chislehurst. This fact is all the more 
pleasing, because the Lesser Redpoll, as 
far as its breeding range in our islands 
extends, is really more of a northerly 
species. Thus, above an imaginary line 
drawn across England, from Yarmouth 
in the east to Aberdovey in the west, it 
nests in tolerable plenty in all likely 
spots, but below that line, particularly 
in the south-west, it may be accounted 
not only local, but positively rare and, 
in some instances, even non-existent. 
Although North Wales can show a fair 
proportion of breeding Redpolls, a very 
different state of affairs exists in the 
southern parts. To the writer’s own 
knowledge, a few—but very few—nest 
locally in Brecon, Radnor, and Car¬ 
marthen, whilst occasional broods are 
reported from the remaining counties. 
Ireland, the northern districts especially, 
can muster a good many breeding pairs, 
where in some places, through a lack 
of trees and hedges (as in Achill for 
example) the little birds nest in furze 
bushes. However, to turn to the Kentish 
Redpolls. In 1899 and 1900, when the 
writer was working up a list of Bromley 
birds, the Lesser Redpoll had to be 
labelled scarce, even in winter; very 
rare in summer; in fact, he only knew 
of one or two breeding pairs. During 
the summer of 1905, however, in those 
self-same haunts, he discovered over 
twenty, an increase which may be due in 
no small measure to a check having been 
put on the rascally bird-catchers, who 
have hitherto been responsible for the 
threatened extinction of Goldfinches and 
the dearth of Linnets in these parts. 
The chief nest-haunt of the Redpolls 
at Ravensbourne is close to the station, 
in a nursery rose garden, bordered on 
one side by a fine suburban wood, on 
the other—the road side—by a narrow, 
but dense, strip of covert, composed of 
larch, Scotch fir, birch, and beech 
saplings, lilacs, privet bushes, dog roses, 
and brambles,the whole place a veritable 
jungle in miniature, and the retreat of 
divers Finches and Warblers. Just 
across the road, in a tiny oblong planta¬ 
tion of taller larches, sapling beeches, 
sycamores, and crab trees, is yet another 
retreat of this fascinating species. In 
all its Kentish haunts, the Redpoll ap¬ 
pears to revel in long, narrow strips of 
covert, that is if it takes to the wood¬ 
land, for the writer has, elsewhere, seen 
many a nest in hedgerows. 
The general rule for birds which flock 
in autumn and winter, like the species 
under notice, is that they mate annually. 
Be this as it may, the writer has known 
special nest haunts used by pairs of 
Redpolls year after year, a fact which 
suggests that, at any rate, one of a given 
couple unerringly returns to the old spot 
with his or her new partner, as the case 
may be. Indeed, the writer has seen 
this year’s nest built within a few feet 
of the relics of last. 
Although it is true that where the 
Lesser Redpoll is scarce, isolated pairs 
are quite customary, yet, where at all 
plentiful, a decided social tendency is 
evinced right through the breeding 
season. Thus, for instance, at Ravens¬ 
bourne, where there are at least a dozen 
nests within a hundred and fifty yards, 
the non-sitting birds consort much to¬ 
gether, the males especially, when 
serenading their busy partners. The 
love-flight of the Lesser Redpoll is very 
characteristic and somewhat resembles 
that of the Greenfinch under similar con¬ 
ditions. Starting from some high posi¬ 
tion in a tree, the bird flits out into the 
air, taking a decidedly erratic course, 
and mounting little higher than the level 
from which it started. It describes an 
irregular circle, and eventually returns, 
often to the same tree, sometimes to the 
identical perch. All the time the un- 
