Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Downley Common - 2nd September 2013
Photo copyright Nick Smart
Found by the photographer, who is not thought to be a birder, the bird was seen at 7:30pm and not seen the following day.
Ivinghoe Beacon - 30th August 2013
Photo
copyright Sean D'Arcy
Found by local birder Dave Bilcock, the news was soon put out and a number of birders managed to see it. Last recorded late morning on 31st.
Quainton Hills - 28th August 2013
Photo
copyright
Tim Watts
Found by local birder Tim Watts who was inspired to visit Quainton Hills that day after the news of good numbers on Wrynecks appearing on the east coast the previous day! Tim manged to locate this bird and manged to get the news out so that several other local birders did manage to see the bird. Tim only managed to get this distant shot.
Hanslope, Nr Miton Keynes - 18th-23rd September 2011
This bird spent much of the day in a Hanslope garden on 18th. It was also seen again on 23rd. Unfortunately news did not get out until after the bird had gone.
This bird arrived at a typical time, the clear peak being in September.
Click here to view a graph of sightings of this species in the county.
Bacombe Hill, Nr Wendover - 20th-24th September 2010
Photo
copyright Dave Parmenter
The bird unfazed by the close presence of a photographer. At times it was too close to digiscope.
Two Photos
copyright Andrew Moon
Photo
copyright
Ashley Stow
Photos
copyright
Mike Collard
Photos
copyright Jim Rose
To view a short video clip of this bird click here
Found by Dave Parmenter who had been conducting an almost daily visit to ajacent Coombe Hill and also Bacombe Hill with the aim of finding migrant birds. These hills are under watched compared to Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon to the NE. After about three weeks Dave came across this super Wryneck on his first birding visit to the site! Dave soon got the news out and the bird put on a superb display for many local and not so local birders. The bird proved to be very tame, as Wrynecks often are, and allowed birders to approach to within a few metres. If individual birders stood still the bird would sometime approach even closer as it intently fed on the ants available of this open piece of hillside.
The bird was last seen at about 13:30 on the 24th when the weather had deteriorated. It is thought that well over 100 birders saw this obliging individual during it's stay. Bearing in mind the high success rate, it must surely rate as one of the most successful Bucks twitches ever.
This bird arrived at a typical time, the clear peak being in September. Click here to view a graph of sightings of this species in the county.
Lathbury - 7th-8th October 2009
Photo
copyright
Andy Whitney
Found by Rob Norris at about 3:30pm while he was checking on a large flocks of finches on an area of allotments. The weather on the 7th was very bad with steady rain for most of the afternoon. The weather cleared overnight but fortunately the bird stayed to be seen and photographed by other birders.
This bird is slighlty later than typical sightings for this species. Click here to view a graph of sightings of this species in the county.
Prestwood - 12th-16th September 2008
Photo
copyright Mike Collard
Photo
copyright Rose Collard
Above two photos
copyright
Terry Underdown
Rather fortunately this juvenile Wryneck decided to visit the garden of Prestwood birders Mike and Rose Collard. However, it was their son Ross who said "Hey Mum what's this bird on the patio"! Rose immediately identified it as a Wryneck and called Mike who managed to see it for 10 seconds before it flew off. This was at about 1:30pm on 12th and despite searching the bird was not seen again until approximately the same time the following day.
This time it was first seen by Rose, who with Mike being away, managed to use Mike's (rather complicated) camera for the first time and obtain the top photo. Remarkable! A short time later, Dave Parmenter arrived on the scene, after which is flew off. Again extensive searching and a vigil inside Mike and Rose's house by a number of birders failed to locate the bird again that day.
On 14th the bird was found again in another garden and birders soon appeared on the scene only to find it had flown off again. It was approximately three hours before it put on a real show for the gathered birders as it fed on Ants on the side of Mike and Rose's driveway. Many local birders managed to connect with it and were stunned to see the above photo taken by near neighbour Terry Underdown. Note the extended tongue in the lower photo as the bird probes for food.
The bird continued to be extremely elusive and was only observed for 1 hour 15 minutes over four days!
On the 15th the bird was seen briefly in a nearby garden, returning to the Collard's garden for a short time on 16th. During it's stay most Bucks listers managed to see the bird.
Aylesbury - 2nd and 3rd September 2000
This individual below is
perhaps the first really twitchable bird in the county. Its presence was put on the
pagers and hotlines late on 2nd, when it was appeared to be settled. A few birders
managed to connect with it that day, while other birders had to wait until the following
afternoon when it reappeared in the same garden to the delight of local birders.
Thanks to Paul Clark and Rachel Leeser for allowing the visiting birders into their hide
(Kitchen!). Apparently nearly thirty birders managed to connect with the bird over
the two days.
This bird was videoed/photographed by several people. Any further submissions for
inclusion here are welcomed.
The above video still copyright Mike Collard