White Stork Ciconia ciconia

New Denham - 2nd-6th July 2004

Photo Copyright Mike Collard

This bird had an extended stay in the south of the county and enabled quite a few birders to catch up with it.   However it could prove elusive and was absent at times during it's stay.

The White Stork is a rare visitor to Bucks with only five records prior to this bird and the possibility of escapees not being ruled out in some cases. 

Dorney Common - 1st April 2004

Video still supplied by Dave Ferguson

This bird was captured on video as it flew over Dorney Common.  It seen the previous day at Bray before being rediscovered over Amerden Scrapes, near Taplow Lake, over the M4 (where Ben Miller saw it from his car, as he was on his way to twitch it) and also over nearby Dorney Wetlands (Berks).   The full wanderings of this individual are described below courtesy of Lee Evans and is apparently the same individual that was seen at Leckhampstead (see pictures below).

"The WHITE STORK that spent nearly 24 hours in the Jubilee River area of Maidenhead and Slough earlier this week WAS the unringed (and very soil-stained individual) that has wintered in Kent (Ashford area) from November 2003 until at least mid March 2004.

This bird was originally discovered in Oxfordshire/Northants at the end of July 2003 (as a juvenile) and after spending nearly two weeks in that area eventually moved east, then south, arriving in Essex and then East Kent in late August. It then spent two weeks in the Dungeness/Romney Marsh area before relocating for two days in fields near Dartford (North Kent). It then returned north (roosting for one evening on a telegraph pole in Harefield) and quickly found a favoured field near Leckhampstead in North Bucks. It remained in this area until early October and then moved back to Northants. It then decided to return to Kent, where it successfully over-wintered at Swanton Court Farm SE of Ashford".

Near Leckhampsted - 26th September 2003

Photos supplied by Simon Nichols

This Juvenile/1st Winter bird was photographed feeding with Black-headed Gulls in a ploughed field west of Wicken Road Farm.  It was present at this site from approximately 23rd to 27th September and was subsequently seen near Finmere a couple of days later and was also thought to have overflown Foxcote the previous week.  It is believed to be the bird that spent a period of time near Bicester in the early part of September.  It had just moulted its primaries, was fully winged and unringed.

The pictures were apparently obtained with a Sony TRV33-E camera on 10x zoom and also in combination with Leica 10x40BN binoculars. 

The White Stork is a rare visitor to Bucks with only five records prior to this bird and the possibility of escapees not being ruled out in some cases. 

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