This is just a 'for the record' video of the Little Bunting that continues, as of today Friday 13th February, to prefer rainy Wales to its normal winter home of sub-tropical Asia!
Great photos. Informative text and good close up videos. I enjoyed watching it. I just wonder what will happen to these vagrant birds. I presume they never get to return to their native habitats.
What a great video clip John, fascinating stuff to see this unusual Little Bunting; such a pretty bird and just brilliant that you were able to see and photograph/video it. Keep us updated, its been a treat to see the wonderful photos and watch the video, thank you :)
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Regards, Hazel
Thank you Colin and Hazel for taking the time to reply and saying such encouraging things - really appreciated! I
Colin I've got no idea what will happen to it. There's no reason for it to move, because it's getting food on a plate there, so it won't die of starvation. Maybe the biological imperative to migrate will kick in in the Spring and it will head off back to the Taiga, then next year come back with its offspring. Wouldn't that be nice? I know in experiments it was found that birds placed in a planetarium moved their bodies in orientation to the 'stars' to face their normal direction for migration proving that they had a 'star map' imprinted in their brain ( John Bleitreu - 'The Parable of the Beast' ) I don't know why this bird ignored its map to get here, possibly blown of course, but it would have less of a journey to complete to get back than the traditional route.
Hazel I'll do my best to keep track of when it leaves and let you know!
Great video until your original report I had never heard of a Little Bunting but now there is another reported near me in Sussex. These images taken early in the month but it is still in the same location according to the SOS site.
www.ispotnature.org/.../641192
http://www.sos.org.uk/index.php?option=com_jobline4&Itemid=&task=view&id=29349
I hope you dont mind me putting these links on your thread but I thought others might like the chance to see such a rarity.
Regards Shane
My Photos in Flickr.
Shane sorry I've taken a while to reply - baby sitting duties in London over the weekend have made me neglect the forums. Of course I don't mind - very grateful for your contribution, it was really interesting to hear of this other sighting - it becomes more of a fascinating puzzle as to why so many Little Buntings have ended up in the UK this year. I think we had some strong easterlies a couple of weeks ago, which could explain why they arrived here. Regardless of how they got here if this Sussex flock make it back to their Summer quarters in N. Russia it could well establish a new pattern to travel West rather than East. As is the case with the Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs that overwinter here they have an advantage over those taking the longer migratory route and can start nesting earlier, with less competition for the prime locations. The Penduline Tits in Devon are another east-west displacement that may be the start of something - we live in exciting times!