Linnet

Above: Male
Below: Female.

Linnets are resident all year round in the UK. They are fairly common although probably more so on the east coast than they are in the west. However, you should have no trouble finding places to see these birds in North West England and North Wales. They prefer the edges of farmland, heaths, commons, parks and salt-marshes. They are not woodland birds. In winter they can form large flocks that roam around together in search of seeds. In summer they are more likely to be found in pairs or smaller, family groups, but never far from other Linnets.

They are about the size of a sparrow and the males and females are very different in appearance, especially during the breading season, as can be seen from the photographs on the left. The male has the very grey head, dark grey beak, warm, unstreaked brown back, dark grey or black wing tips and tail and dark grey legs. He also has a red or pink flush often on the front of his head and in particular on his breast. In non breeding plumage this pink fades so that only a hint remains. Below the pink breast is a buff belly sometimes with dark, fairly heavy streaks. The chin can also be streaked but usually having a paler background to the belly.

The female is a plainer bird. She has a brown back and wings, with heavy dark streaks. She has a buff breast, belly, flanks and chin which are also marked with heavy dark streaks. She has the grey head, beak and legs, similar to the male.

These birds are similar to the twite and the lesser redpoll. Both of these however, lack the grey head and grey beak of the linnet. Both having brown heads and pale yellow beaks. Twites also lack the pink breast of the male but instead have a pink rump in the breeding season. The redpoll does have a red forehead and often a pink flush to the breast, the beak and head colour however are distinctive.

I've found these birds to be reasonably tame. If you march towards them purposefully, they will fly off before you are close enough, but slow movement or even waiting for them to come to you will often prove productive. Again, as with most birds, slow movement is the key to success.

In North Wales, they are to be found off the beach between Pwllheli and Llanbedrog. I've also seen small flocks at Connah's Quay and Point of Ayr in Clwyd. In England, Frodsham Marsh is a good place as is the North Wirral Country Park, especially around Leesowe Lighthouse and similar terrain nearby. Further north, you can try coastal places like Formby Point and the Marshside area. The large gorse area on the western half of Moore Nature Reserve in spring is also good for Linnets, as is the footpath south and east of Neumann's Flash . In Cumbria, South Walney and St Bees Head are great places to look. If you're careful and thoughtful, you should have no trouble photographing these birds.