Re: WRYNECKS

Hi I saw 3 wrynecks in Crackstone Minchinghampton on the 18 march last week. This is my first  time  I have ever seen them. they were looking for insects in a ploud field with mole hills.

   love to all Susieq xxx      

Hi Susieq,

First of  all welcome to the forums!.You are lucky to have seen Wrynecks three of them as well.I have never seen one before,I just had to look It up In my Bird book.They say It Is quite an elusive bird hard to see because of the camouflage plumage.

Littleowl

Thanks littleowl my first reply yes I was very lucky to see these birds. My husband is very very jealous as he has been a keen bird watcher since he was 5 and of course never seen one

thanks Suesieq xxx

Hi susieq. Welcome to the forums.

I don't want to sound pedantic and I'm not questioning the person who identified them, but were you sure they were Wrynecks! 3 at once? who identified the birds!

Are they an experienced birder!

The reason behind my questions are, these birds are very scarce and elusive birds.

They are normally sighted in Autumn and the recorded yearly sightings for the UK is approx 254 birds, the recorded sightings last year were on the Scilly Isles and Bardsey Island at Gwynnedd in October.

Regards Buzzard

Hello Susieq,

Welcome to the forum.

Susieq 1 - hubby 0

Hi susieq, buzzard :)))

Wrynecks normally don't arrive in Britain until late April, they are normally solitary and skulk very efficiently as they are barely larger than a sparrow. There are probably only about 6 breeding pairs in GB normally.

Three together would be most unusual especially in a field.  I don't think I've ever seen more than one at a time anywhere.

A Wryneck record like this needs to be sent to the local County Recorder if there is a good enough description :)

S

Hi all,

I was lucky enough to be visiting Jordan a year or so ago and we were introduced to the local version of the RSPB who were ringing birds there. One of them was a Wryneck and I attach a couple of photos. Any resemblance to the birds you saw, susieq? I haven't seen them anywhere else tho'....