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On Friday the news broke through the bucksbirders email group that Mike Collard had seen a Wryneck in his garden, whilst his son Ross, was eating his lunch he noticed a strange bird sitting in the back garden, alerting his mum Rose and moments later Mike, they soon discovered they had a Wryneck just 8ft away. It was seen briefly again Saturday and despite searching for it later in the day it couldn't be relocated.
Sunday lunchtime and the bird had reappeared again, Mike got the news out quickly through the email group and I was soon getting in the car and heading off. Arriving at Prestwood I made my way to Mike & Rose Collard's house and was given the news that the Wryneck was still present but elusive, it had been seen and photographed in a neighbouring garden. I waited patiently with Mike & Rose, Lee Evans, Rob Andrews and a few other birders in the hope that I might catch a glimpse of the Wryneck, it's all too easy to give up and later find out you missed the bird moments later, I was determined to wait and see my first ever Wryneck however long it took.
A few small groups spread out along the lane keeping an eye on some of the gardens(With permission of course) and we remained by Mike & Rose's house. Mike & Rose had posted a few flyers through some of the neighbouring houses after the bird was found on Friday and by now there seemed to be a bit of interest including one lucky gentlemen who watched it in his back garden and managed to get some excellent photos earlier in the day. Mike & Rose continued checking the garden of it's last seen location but there was no sign, We were all warbling on and having a laugh about recent sightings and going's on when Lee picked up on 2 Siskin flying over, a Goldcrest flitted round a spruce tree in a neighbouring garden but still no sign of the Wryneck. Mike suggested that he should check his garden again and wandered over to take a look, I'VE GOT IT he whispered loudly, IT'S ON THE LAWN. At this point I think we all thought he was mucking about and it wasn't till he said it again did everybody believe him. I edged my way carefully towards him with everybody else present doing the same, amazingly there was the Wryneck feeding on Mike's lawn and we all laughed at the fact the bird could have been there sometime and we didn't notice it. Despite our thinking the bird would look for a sunny spot there it was feeding in the shade of the front garden probing it's bill through the grass. We all had a good look before moving back across the lane, Lee aged it as a Juvenile and those of us present had fantastic views of it between 15:13 to 15:47 as it fed across the grass on the front lawn. It then made it's way along the side of the house where it could be seen feeding on ants before disappearing round the back of the house. It returned within a short while and showed incredibly well as it perched on a garden fence, a couple of minutes later it dropped down in to a neighbouring garden and out of sight.
A massive thank you to both Mike & Rose for their hospitality and of course Ross for finding it.
Sunday lunchtime and the bird had reappeared again, Mike got the news out quickly through the email group and I was soon getting in the car and heading off. Arriving at Prestwood I made my way to Mike & Rose Collard's house and was given the news that the Wryneck was still present but elusive, it had been seen and photographed in a neighbouring garden. I waited patiently with Mike & Rose, Lee Evans, Rob Andrews and a few other birders in the hope that I might catch a glimpse of the Wryneck, it's all too easy to give up and later find out you missed the bird moments later, I was determined to wait and see my first ever Wryneck however long it took.
A few small groups spread out along the lane keeping an eye on some of the gardens(With permission of course) and we remained by Mike & Rose's house. Mike & Rose had posted a few flyers through some of the neighbouring houses after the bird was found on Friday and by now there seemed to be a bit of interest including one lucky gentlemen who watched it in his back garden and managed to get some excellent photos earlier in the day. Mike & Rose continued checking the garden of it's last seen location but there was no sign, We were all warbling on and having a laugh about recent sightings and going's on when Lee picked up on 2 Siskin flying over, a Goldcrest flitted round a spruce tree in a neighbouring garden but still no sign of the Wryneck. Mike suggested that he should check his garden again and wandered over to take a look, I'VE GOT IT he whispered loudly, IT'S ON THE LAWN. At this point I think we all thought he was mucking about and it wasn't till he said it again did everybody believe him. I edged my way carefully towards him with everybody else present doing the same, amazingly there was the Wryneck feeding on Mike's lawn and we all laughed at the fact the bird could have been there sometime and we didn't notice it. Despite our thinking the bird would look for a sunny spot there it was feeding in the shade of the front garden probing it's bill through the grass. We all had a good look before moving back across the lane, Lee aged it as a Juvenile and those of us present had fantastic views of it between 15:13 to 15:47 as it fed across the grass on the front lawn. It then made it's way along the side of the house where it could be seen feeding on ants before disappearing round the back of the house. It returned within a short while and showed incredibly well as it perched on a garden fence, a couple of minutes later it dropped down in to a neighbouring garden and out of sight.
A massive thank you to both Mike & Rose for their hospitality and of course Ross for finding it.
Wryneck Video
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Added To my Year List.
209. Wryneck
Added To My Life List.
305. Wryneck
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