This rare and secretive winter visitor has only been seen a few times.
The records since 1983 are:
29th October 1983, in Hawthorns near the pipes at Severn Beach (first live record).
8th March 1984, Dead bird, on the coast road at Chittening Warth.
7th February 1988, Dead bird, on the coast road at Chittening Warth.
18th March 1990, Chittening Warth.
13th December 1990, Dead bird, on the coast road at Severn Beach.
23rd and 28th March 2001, in Hawthorns near the pipes at Severn Beach.
4th November 2001, Severn Beach.
21st April 2006, Northwick Warth.
6th and 9th February 2008, Aust Warth
1st January 2009, Aust Warth
21st March 2012, Severn Beach
4th-5th March 2013, Northwick Warth
7th October 2016, Northwick Warth
7th February 2021, Dead bird found south of Severn Beach
With almost a quarter of the records involving dead birds this is either a very unlucky species or over looked! Perhaps bird watchers should spend more time looking in the Hawthorn scrub in the winter months.
The image below is a scan of a 35 mm print taken on 18th March 1990 using just the standard 50 mm lens, at less than 2 meters range.
