Artic Redpoll, Aberlady Bay - winter 2005/2006

The Artic Redpoll (Coues's Artic Redpoll, Carduelis hornemanni exilipes) at Aberlady was an extremely popular bird, not just with Lothian birders but a lot of Scottish ones and even a few from south of the border with an estamated 800 people visiting the site during it's stay. Found on the 19th December 2005 by Ian Thomson among a mixed Redpoll flock, the bird stayed until the 18th March 2006 at least making it Scotlands second ever longest stayer of this species (90+ days) exceeded only by one at Carnoustie in the winter of 1988/1989 (125 days).
The only 2 previous records in Lothian both come from The Bell Birch Wood (near Whiteadder Res.) which is still in the recording area for Lothian despite a boundary change now making the site in Borders Region, those being in January 1985 & January 1996. You could argue then that this bird is the only Artic Roll to be seen in Lothian, the finders and those who saw the Bell Birch Wood birds may argue back.