County Birding

The local patch continues to throw up suprises - this time a Greater Flamingo. Sporting a blue and white leg ring, this bird's origins was soon discovered to be Marwell Zoological Park in Hampshire. They differ from the only other old world flamingo by a less  extensive black bill. The oldest known bird is in Adelaide Zoo, Australia, and is at least 77 years old !
Here's a slightly better shot of Greater Flamingo taken in May, 2006 on Lesvos.

Earlier, at Radwell, I was pleased to find 6 Bewick's Swan and a pair of Curlew.

Elsewhere, RAN's Slavonian Grebe could not be relocated at Stewartby, but a Sparrowhawk and three Scaup were seen. At Wixams development fields only the late comers saw a Short-eared Owl, 2 visits earlier in the day were slim pickin's, but a pair of Stonechat were notable, as were two Peregrine Falcon seen together. Three seperate flocks of Lapwing were seen today, and the Leighton Buzzard Starling flock numbered (very roughly) two thousand.