A
SCANDINAVIAN bird that is rarely seen in this country has been spotted at
Langport sewage treatment works.
The
wryneck was spotted at the Wessex Water plant, between the town and Curry Rivel,
in fine meshed nets that are used to capture and tag birds to record their
activity.
The small, sparrow-sized bird is in the
woodpecker family and breeds in the Scandinavian forests.
Its name
comes from the peculiar way it twists its neck when it is captured.
Doug
Miller, 81, of Westonzoyland, near Bridgwater, has been bird-ringing for around
40 years and caught the wryneck in Langport.
He said:
"The bird is most likely travelling to Africa for the winter.
"I
saw another wryneck two years ago but there have only been two in Somerset in
the last 20 years.
"It
was so gentle, it is a really calm and collected bird. All birds are really,
even the big hawks, so long as you hold them right.
"Langport
is a great site, you get hundreds of birds there. It's sheltered and without
any disturbances – there isn't really anyone down there or any dogs or animals,
and I think they must know that.
"I
went down recently and saw about 600 house martins. It's lovely. It is better
than a nature reserve in some ways."
The
wryneck is in the highest conservation priority category used for birds in the
UK.
The categorisation
splits birds into three categories of importance – red, amber and green. The
wryneck's red category means the species needs urgent conservation action.
The
British Trust for Ornithology rings birds at sites such as the Langport sewage
works to monitor the populations and survival of all types of birds.
The
captures are recorded and the birds are then set free again.
Mr Miller
said: "We ring birds in the interests of conservation, but the majority
that we get coming through are common birds.
"I
look forward to the next unusual bird to arrive at Langport – almost anything
is possible."
Andy
Mears, Wessex Water's resident bird expert, said: "Any recoveries of the
rings provide valuable information on movements and can help conservation
researchers."
To see a
video of the wryneck visit www.thisissomerset.co.uk.
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