🐦✨ Exciting News for Bird Lovers! ✨🐦
A rare avian visitor has graced the UK skies for the first time in over three decades! The elusive white-throated needletail, typically native to East Asia and Australia, has been spotted at Tophill Low Nature Reserve in East Yorkshire. This marks its first appearance in England since 1991 and only the second time it’s ever been seen in Yorkshire!
Visitors Mandy Gregory and Ray Maddison were the lucky birdwatchers who first captured this moment on camera. Initially unsure of the bird’s identity, they soon realised, with the help of reserve adviser Richard Hampshire, that they had stumbled upon something truly special. With its long sabre-shaped wings and sleek bullet-shaped body, the needletail quickly became the talk of the town.
Word spread like wildfire on social media, drawing a crowd of eager bird enthusiasts to the reserve. Within the hour, around 50 people had arrived, hoping to catch a glimpse of this spectacular creature.
Not just a treat for eyes at Tophill Low, this speedy feathered wonder was also spotted at RSPB Bempton Cliffs in Bridlington later that evening, drawing hundreds of spectators.
This thrilling sighting ranks as “probably the second-rarest bird to appear in the past 60 years” at Tophill Low, following the Amur falcon in 2008. The reserve itself is a haven for wildlife, including otters, barn owls, and kingfishers.
This appearance adds a glittering chapter to the UK’s rich tapestry of birdlife and serves as a reminder of the wonderful surprises nature gifts us when we least expect them. Keep your binoculars handy and eyes to the skies – you never know what you might spot next! 🌍💙