On Monday (05.05.2014) after the Warbler ID day with Ribble Bird Tours I went for a walk along the estuary and saw this odd looking bird.
Having never seen anything like this before the only thing I could compare it to was a corvid who'd had it's face ripped off! I emailed a expert friend to ask his opinion but he thought I was pulling his leg (I've sent him joke photoshopped sightings before and he quite understandably presumed this another).
So...Today I walking along the estuary and a chap on a mobility scooter stopped to tell me there was a Turkey Vulture in Witch Wood. I told him I didn't have a clue what a Turkey Vulture was (and if I'm honest thought he might be winding me up). I carried on walking along the prom with the intention of looking for passage waders at 'Cocklers Cobbles' but the man's words started to play on my mind. What if there really was an unusual bird there? When I got to Lowther I made my decision, cut across the green and headed to Witch Wood. Right enough, as promised the bird was there! Not only was it there but it was the same bird I had seen on Monday!
I tweeted the news and emailed the picture to an expert who confirmed it was a Turkey Vulture. I put the news up on FBC and RBA also gave it mention. The bird is an escapee obviously (although not so obvious to me at the time). But we live and learn. The video below was taken by a lady walking her dog midweek who kindly emailed me the video.
Having never seen anything like this before the only thing I could compare it to was a corvid who'd had it's face ripped off! I emailed a expert friend to ask his opinion but he thought I was pulling his leg (I've sent him joke photoshopped sightings before and he quite understandably presumed this another).
So...Today I walking along the estuary and a chap on a mobility scooter stopped to tell me there was a Turkey Vulture in Witch Wood. I told him I didn't have a clue what a Turkey Vulture was (and if I'm honest thought he might be winding me up). I carried on walking along the prom with the intention of looking for passage waders at 'Cocklers Cobbles' but the man's words started to play on my mind. What if there really was an unusual bird there? When I got to Lowther I made my decision, cut across the green and headed to Witch Wood. Right enough, as promised the bird was there! Not only was it there but it was the same bird I had seen on Monday!
I tweeted the news and emailed the picture to an expert who confirmed it was a Turkey Vulture. I put the news up on FBC and RBA also gave it mention. The bird is an escapee obviously (although not so obvious to me at the time). But we live and learn. The video below was taken by a lady walking her dog midweek who kindly emailed me the video.
No comments:
Post a Comment