Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758
RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk © Nigel Milbourne 2012
- One, adult, 24th Oct. 2010 (N.R. Milbourne, R.M. Andrews et al.). Note 1.
- One, not aged, 22nd March 2014 (A. Chastney). Note 2.
- One, 2nd-calendar year, 19th Sep. 2016 (N.R. Milbourne et al.). Note 3.
- Two, probably 2nd cal. yr. & 3rd cal. yr., 2nd Oct. 2016 (N.R. Milbourne et al.).
- One, immature, 28th Sep. 2018 (R.M. Mielcarek et al.). Note 4.
- One, probably 1st or 2nd cal. yr., 20th Oct. 2018 (M. Hynam, N.R. Milbourne et al.).
- Three, not aged, 21st Sep. 2021 (N.R. Milbourne, M. Hynam). Note 5.
Note 1. Flew west over lake at 1810 hrs having been at Chew Valley Lake previously.
Note 2. One reported in flight early morning over the lake by an angler.
Note 3. Found at 1125 hrs on Rugmoor Point.
Note 4. Followed over from Chew Valley Lake.
Note 5. Flew west over lake at 1855 hrs.
According to the BTO Website, bird facts, “Spoonbill is one of a number of species expanding their breeding range northwards as a result of climate change, and the species is becoming a more familiar sight to birdwatchers. Spoonbill bred in southern England until the 17th century and has successfully re-colonised the UK over the course of the last decade, following on from the first successful modern-day breeding attempt in 1999 (Ogilvie et al. 2001). The main stronghold of the species is at Holkham in Norfolk where breeding first occurred in 2010 and the number of breeding pairs had risen to 28 in 2020 (Bloomfield 2021). Since the establishment of the colony at Holkham, breeding has occurred at several other sites across the UK. They are widely distributed in winter across a range of mostly coastal sites in southern Britain.”
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