Pied-billed Grebe in the UK

In the wake of  finally being able to see the documentary about British Twitchers, a true MEGA bird is discovered. (Don’t laugh if you are west of the pond) A Pied-billed Grebe!  It is a bit amazing the it first was mis-identified as a Little Grebe. The BBC article below speculares it would have hitched a ride with a ship, although it should perfectly well be able to survive at sea like many other Grebes

Another very rare bird in the UK right now is a Thayer’s Gull in Essex. It would be the first UK record if accepted (6 records from Ireland). It has been visiting a land fill with several thousands of gulls and without access to the birders, who are getting quite frustrated by the slim chance of actually seeing the birds, should the decide to go to the site.

Bird-watchers have been flocking to a Greater Manchester nature reserve for a sight of a rare North American species.

The Pied-billed Grebe was first spotted on Hollingworth Lake, Rochdale, last week but misidentified as a little grebe – a common British species. It was later confirmed by an RSPB expert as the North American bird.

The bird is the first spotted on the UK mainland for eight years and is usually only seen in south-west England, said county bird recorder Judith Smith. Interest in the pied-billed grebe is “immense”, she added, with twitchers from around the country arriving at the lake to add it to their tally of sightings.

Experts believe the bird may have hitched a lift across the Atlantic on the back of a cruise or container ship. Read the full story in BBC News