20200403 “Pollen Horn”

Most years we come across migrants, often chiffchaffs, that have been feeding on pollen, probably in Iberia and probably from Eucalyptus species. As they feed the sticky pollen matts frontal feathers together to form a horn at e base of the upper mandible. We take it as evidence that the bird has come from the South as a a new migrant rather than staying as an over-wintererer. This is my first of this year.