On 3rd January 2024, a Northern Waterthrush was found on a garden pond in Heybridge near Maldon in Essex. The bird was found by Simon Wood, President of the Essex Birdwatching Society.
Well, what a way to start 2024 🤩Delighted most people got to see this corker of a bird today. Good luck to those coming tomorrow. This photo of the Northern Waterthrush was taken yesterday in my garden - amazed I managed to take any decent shots! @EssexBirdNews @BirdGuides pic.twitter.com/4OceO1WFCX
— Simon Wood (@SimonWood27) January 4, 2024
It was swiftly relocated the next morning at the nearby Heybridge Hall sluice and ditch where it attracted (and still continues to attract) birders not just from Essex but from across the UK.
This is a first record of Northern Waterthrush for Essex, only the third mainland record for the UK and the first UK record since 2011.
The UK’s first Northern Waterthrush was found on St. Agnes on the Isles of Scilly in September 1958. The Isles of Scilly have since hosted 4 more birds, most recently in September 2011. All previous UK records have been found in the autumn. Ireland has 2 records in September 1983 and August 2008, both on Cape Clear in County Cork.
Needless to say, this extremely rare bird has attracted a lot of attention in the national and local media.
Northern waterthrush sighting in Heybridge attracts hundreds - BBC News
Northern waterthrush sighting in Essex still attracts large crowds - BBC News
Heybridge: Bird watchers flock to glimpse Northern Waterthrush | Maldon and Burnham Standard
The Northern Waterthrush is a species of ground-feeding migratory New World warbler of the genus Parkesia. It breeds in the northern part of North America in Canada and the northern United States including Alaska and it winters in Central America, the West Indies and Florida as well as in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. It is a rare vagrant to other South American countries and to western Europe.
The Northern Waterthrush is typically found in swampy or wet woods, streamsides and lake shores and breeds mostly in coniferous forests with standing or sluggish water such as shrubby bogs and the edges of lakes. On migration, it may appear in any habitat but is more frequent in thickets along the edges of water. In winter in the tropics, it is often found in coastal mangrove swamps.
The Northern Waterthrush is a large New World warbler (and not a thrush despite the name). It has a length of 4.7 to 5.9 inches and a wingspan of 8.3 to 9.4 inches. On the head, the crown is brown with a white supercilium. The bill is pointed and dark. The throat is lightly streaked brown to black with heavier streaking continuing onto the breast and flanks. The back is evenly brown. Sexes are morphologically similar.
The Northern Waterthrush is a terrestrial ground feeder, eating insects, spiders, molluscs, worms and crustaceans as well as minnows found by wading through water.
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you feel like commenting on my blog, you can contact me by completing the comment form below. I will respond to all comments and enquiries and constructive criticism will always be welcomed.