Birds Photographed in the UK in 1996

Jonathan Wasse

Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni exilipes
Broomhill Flash, South Yorkshire, January 1996.

A brilliant local patch tick. One of the many
involved with influx of Mealy Redpolls Carduelis
flammea in winter 1995-96.

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
King's Lynn, Norfolk, January 1996.

A pale 1st winter plumaged bird that frequented
the docks and nearby school fields.

Black-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis atrogularis
Webheath, Worcestershire, January 1996.

A 1st winter male found in a suburban garden in the
Midlands. It drew a large crowd of birders, sometimes
to the annoyance of the local residents.

White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii
Tattershall Bridge, Lincolnshire, March 1996.

This immature bird was present on the River
Witham in Lincolnshire. Although they are annual
visitors to the UK, especially Scotland, they are
very rare inland (possibly the 3rd ever inland
record?). Unfortunately these pictures show the
sad demise of this giant.

This visit was on a Saturday and with the bird
still being present it obviously attracted a large
amount of birders to the site. On this day a
fishing match was also taking place along this
stretch of the river. We arrived just before 11
am and the bird was swimming up and down the
river. Did the presence of a large crowd at close
quarters upset the bird, were the birders "pushing"
the bird? Anyhow, on one fatal occasion it took a
fisherman's bait and it transpired that one set of
the tripple? hooks became lodged deep in its throat.
As a result the bird got entangled in the line and
the more it struggled the more badly entangled it
became.

The Diver was "reeled in" to release the line and hooks.

The bird was clearly ill and a local wildlife centre
was found to help out. The bird was taken away
and sadly died a few hours later. I believe that
one set of the hooks inside the bird could not
be reached, and in order to remove them the
sternum would have to be broken. Hence the bird
would be rendered flightless.

Black-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis atrogularis
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, March 1996.

A probable 1st winter male, again present on a housing
estate. This one was less showy than the Webheath bird.

Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
Leeds, West Yorkshire, Winter 1996.

Always worth seeing are these northern beauties.
These were present at the Leeds Royal Infirmary.

Part of the 700+ strong flock present at the Infirmary,
a record Yorkshire count for a single flock.

Arctic Redpoll Turdus ruficollis atrogularis
Langham, Norfolk, Late Winter/Spring 1996.

Langham was a good place to see these little
white bundles with over 20+ in the village.
Sometimes they outnumbered the "Mealies".

Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
Waterside Village, Cumbria, July 1996.

The mad panic to see this male bird seems a little
bizarre if you ticked it 2 years on, when it was still
fluffing-up its feathers and singing from the farm
buildings.

Why on earth it appeared in deepest Cumbria is
a bit of a mystery. Apparently it was found by
local birder(s) looking for an equally out of place
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus!

Painted Lady Cynthia cardui
Titchwell, Norfolk, Summer 1996.

A massive movemount of Painted Ladies into
the UK took place in the summer of 1996.

Southern Grey Shrike "Steppe"
Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris
Clacton, Essex, Autumn 1996.

A record shot of this newly split species. Of
the handful that have been recordered in the
UK, most have appeared in the late autumn.
This individual had a penchant for House
Sparrows Passer domesticus!

Barn Owl Tyto alba
Broomhill Ings, South Yorkshire, Winter 1996.

Roosting in an old-railway cutting, known as
"The Canyon".

Long-eared Owl Asio otus
Barnsley area, South Yorkshire, Winter 1996.

Whenever watching winter roosts of this Owl,
you always locate the most hidden one first.
Can you spot 2 of them snoozing away?