There was a flock of 45+ Mealy Redpolls at the Platt Bridge/Spring View corner of Amberswood late morning. They were feeding along the former railway to the rear/side of Spring View Cricket Club. Access from the A537 Warrington Rd, take Moss Lane and the first left to park by the CC entrance. A footpath goes on to Amberswood here.

I managed to get good views of the flock and couldn't find any Lesser Redpolls among them. About half of the flock were very pale birds (couldn't find an Arctic!), many of the others were much more heavily streaked birds, probably first-winter birds as many showed very pointed tail feathers, but still as large and stocky as the paler birds and showing generally grey head/neck, strong white tram-lines on the mantle, white wing-bars and pale ground colour to the rump whenever this was visible.

The flock was eventually flushed by 2 Sparrowhawks.