Birds Photographed in the UK in 1995

Jonathan Wasse

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Barnsley Moors, South Yorkshire, April 1995.

Using the car as a hide enabled me to get close
to this summer visitor to the South Yorkshire
moorlands.

White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Hull/Spurn, East Yorkshire, April 1995.

Taken an hour or so after first light. This
individual soon took flight moving along the
nearby coastline.

Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla
Holme, Norfolk, April 1995.

This beauty showed really well to the twitchers
at this north Norfolk hot-spot.

It's quite unusual to twitch spring birds, as they
are more common in the autumn.

Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Holme, Norfolk, April 1995.

As is more than often usual for Norfolk, the star
attraction (Little Bunting) had a good supporting
cast. This cryptic migrant could be surprisingly
well camourflaged on the ground

Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
Aberdaron, Wales, June 1995.

This male was in fine plumage showing no aberrations
associated with it being an escape from captivity. As
is fairly typical it appeared on the western side of
Great Britain in June.

It competed well with the local House Sparrows
Passer domesticus for the crumbs outside a
local cafe.

The dark mask identifies this bird as a male, and
possibly a 1st summer judging by the lack of black
on the centre rear of the crown.

Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus
Lowestoft, Suffolk, June 1995.

Following on from the large early summer influx
of this species in 1994, 1995 produced some
sightings of wandering adults as well. This bird
spent most of its time feeding in the skips full of
fish waste at the Bird's Eye factory at Lowestoft.

Laughing Gull Larus atricilla
Sizewell, Suffolk, July 1995.

This bird spent a long time of its stay feeding at
the outfall of the nuclear power station and
occasionally resting with the other gulls on the
shingle beach.

Nice size comparison with a smaller Black-
headed Gull L. ridibundus.

Roseate Tern Sterna dougalli
Cley, Norfolk, July 1995.

An elegant and uncommon bird that took up
residence at Cley. Unfortunately it was too
distant to get a good photograph but, as it was
taken from a hide, the wind was not a problem
in securing this record shot.

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Titchwell, Norfolk, November 1995.

Sammy is still present and shows well in the year
2000!

Little Auk Alle alle
Titchwell, Norfolk, November 1995.

A "wreck" of Little Auks A. Alle on the north
Norfolk coast produced sightings of dead birds
as well as "lost looking" living birds.

Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria
Titchwell, Norfolk, November 1995.

This phalarope was also blown inshore to the
excellent Titchwell RSPB reserve.

Hoopoe Upupa epops
Sunk Island, East Yorkshire, December 1995.

A late migrating individual that, unknown to
birders, had been present near the east coast
hot-spot of Spurn Point, for up to 2 weeks.

Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
Howell Wood, South Yorkshire, December 1995.

A lone bird, but would more erupt during the
winter?