£3.40 for the rainbow bird!

The European Bee-eater really is the definition of distinctive, it's rainbow colours, downcurved bill and long, pointed wings. This species is normally found nesting in the sand banks of southern Europe, migrating to southern Africa each autumn and returning each year. Every so often, southerlies during spring will push migrating birds further north than they were intending, and so most of the UK's records of this species correspond with their spring migration.

Therefore, it was a surprise that one was to appear in Haltwhistle, south west Northumberland, this week. These birds should be heading south this time of year, not north!! And, of all places, in the very centre of the country. This bird (a first-year individual) certainly is very lost!!

Now Haltwhistle is only 20 minutes from Hexham, where I live. On arriving home yesterday, I saw the news of the bird, and I planned to meet fellow birder Elliot Montieth there, however before I could leave it was flushed by a Sparrowhawk and flew south. I was certain that the bird had carried on it's travels - heading the right way this time!

However, this morning the bird was still present in Haltwhistle cemetery, such a contrasting location for this colourful bird. I planned to head out for it after lunch (homework first!). I did as planned, return ticket for a bargain of £3.40, and 20 minutes later I stepped onto the platform to meet Elliot.

We headed along the road and down to the river where the bird had moved to. We were soon rewarded with excellent views of the bird, which had several perches of a dead tree and various telephone wires. We had amazing views of it catching wasps just above our heads, and spent a good hour and a half watching it. We bumped into Sophie Bagshaw and Ashley Baines, who had also made the trip to see the bird. I managed to get some decent photos of the bird, however no flight shots - Elliot has let me post his cracking photo of the Bee-eater in flight. You can read his blog here.

At around half past three, a Eurasian Sparrowhawk shot past us towards the Bee-eater. It chased the bird, that managed to evade capture by inches, and then flew high and west. We thought it may have been heading towards the cemetery, but we had no luck searching there. We did however find a Redwing (my first of the autumn) and saw four Goosanders flying upriver, so not a waste of time by any means.

It soon began to rain and was time to head back home. All in all a very good day's birding, and a bargain of £3.40 for the rainbow bird!