DESERT WHEATEAR MAKES UNUSUAL VISITOR TO LOWESTOFT

   On Thursday 6th November a Desert Wheatear was found by the sea wall near the Links road car park at Lowestoft North beach and it proved to be a most confiding visitor. The Desert Wheatear looks quite similar to the normal Wheatears we get coming through every spring and autumn but has a predominately black tail to go with its sandy plumage. As their name suggests this bird originates from the deserts of North Africa where it spends its winters before migrating to the Arab peninsular, Asia, Mongolia and eastward to China. Every year one or two of these birds lose their way on the journey back to Africa and end up being blown to our shores but it is amazing that this bird turned up at Lowestoft at the same time as another one appeared just a few miles up the coast at Gorleston.

   The bird at Lowestoft was a first winter male and as I said earlier was very approachable and when I arrived on Saturday morning already several photographers had surrounded it snapping away. It was amazing that it did not seem to mind us being around it and carried on feeding oblivious to the sound of shutters being fired. Apparently the bird at Gorleston which is a female is also nearly as confiding which I put down to the fact that they don't come into contact with humans much so have little reason to fear us. As for the chances of either bird making their way back down to Africa, it will depend largely on the wind changing direction to aid them and also their ability to feed up before crossing back across the channel and heading down through Europe. As I said it is a most unusual visitor here but in its own area is not a threatened species at all being common across Africa.