A mate at work has been telling me for months that he has had lots of Siskin, Brambling and Redpolls visiting his feeders in his garden.

He said that the Redpolls were paler than in his bird book and that some of them were becoming very pink.

I have been meaning to pop in to look at the birds in question and a perfect opportunity arose today whilst travelling back home from work.

When he took me into his kitchen I was greeted with 3 or 4 stonking Mealy Redpolls and 6 Brambling in near breeding plumage.

He said that he has 20-30 Redpolls on a daily basis as well as a large flock of Brambling and Siskin.

On the down side-He lives in Chapel-en-le Frith and not in G.M.