WRYNECK HEAVEN!

   The Wryneck is a bird I have wanted to see for several years now which is a member of the woodpecker family and is found widely throughout Europe, Scandinavia and North Africa. It used to be a resident in certain areas of the UK but has been extinct as a breeding bird for a while now and is only seen in small numbers on migration mainly on the East coast on their way to Africa for the winter. As with other woodpeckers they nest in holes in trees and walls but are quite small in size only being a little bigger than a sparrow; from a distance they look dull brown in colour but close up they have intricate patterns of brown, grey and buff and to me appear almost reptilian. They are apparently quite shy and reclusive but during migration they can  be much bolder and give fantastic views.

   Last Saturday evening there was a Wryneck  reported from the old sewage works at Corton so early Sunday morning I made the trip over to see if I could finally observe one. On arrival I, along with a couple of other people spotted a Redstart followed by 2 Whinchat and a Whitethroat but nothing else so after a couple of hours searching I made the decision to move to Covehithe and Benacre and walk along the coastline there. This too resulted in no sign of a Wryneck and I was nearly ready to give up for the day when reports came through of a sighting at Minsmere in the sluice bushes so I got back in the car and drove over there.

   Walking through the gorse bushes to the sluice there was no sign of a bird but further on a group of people were stood watching some bushes so I walked up to them and Jon Evans who is a very good local wildlife photographer told me that a Spotted Flycatcher was in there and that a Wryneck had been showing just were I had just walked. I stopped for a while and managed to get a few photos of the Flycatcher but it wasn't easy as the bird stayed in the middle of the bushes and didn't show well.

   Moving back to the gorse I joined about 10 other people looking for the Wryneck and eventually it was spotted in the distance disappearing into a gorse bush. Everyone converged in the area of the bush but there was no sign of the bird and after 45 minutes people lost patience and began to disperse. I stuck around and creeping through the bushes finally came across the Wryneck sitting in a bramble bush only about 7 metres away whereupon I froze and carefully managed to get some pictures. After a little while the bird seemed to get used to me and relaxed, dropped onto a path and began to search for food allowing me to get some super views and snap away to my heats content. Close up the bird was beautiful to see and the variation in its plumage was amazing so I was lucky to observe the bird for a good 20 minutes before it was flushed by a family walking a dog and disappeared into a bush. Finally seeing this bird made my day and it was one of quite a few seen in the area last Sunday but by the next day most of them had moved on so I count myself lucky that I was in the right place at the right time.