Another first for Yorkshire this month with a sighting of a rare bird, usually native to Asia and Africa nipping over to Yorkshire to enjoy some of the local tourist attractions.
Captured by Connor Pimm, the hoopoe bird was found between Littlebeck and Fylingdales near Whitby in the North York Moors last week.
Writing about his discovery on his Facebook page he wrote: “The day wasn’t over yet though when news of a Hoopoe came in at Littlebeck, near Whitby this afternoon. I set off this evening and saw a Goshawk with prey en route. I walked to the spot where it had been reported to find nothing.”
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When he was about to give up, he continued: “Thinking I’d missed it, I walked back to the car only to see the Hoopoe sat about 10 metres infront of me! A full fat UK lifer for me and remarkably confiding. I’m hoping to see lots of these beautiful birds in Mallorca next week
Hoopes, which like the warm weather usually head over to southern Europe to spend the summer, but are sometimes blown off course ending up in the UK. And, around 100 are recorded annually but usually in the South. So this sighting is a rare occurrence
Other places where hoopoes have been reported recently are Scilly, Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, North Yorkshire and the Isle of Man.
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