Wryneck 2

Following on from the last blog, on the Church Norton Wryneck, Dave an I made another visit to the Severals hoping for better picture opportunities. We spent a few more hours standing around waiting but the best we had were brief glimpses of it feeding on the ground.

I had really given up on Wrynecks for this year but then on Wednesday I took Sue and her friend Maggie over to the Seven Sisters Country Park for lunch and a gentle afternoon stroll. We walked into the cafe just before twelve o'clock and I knew it was going to be a good day when I just managed to get my order in for the full english breakfast with two minutes to spare.

After lunch (or in my case breakfast) they decided to go over to Beachy Head for their walk and so to avoid the worse of the crowds I parked up near Shooters Bottom. I confess that I had completely forgotten that there was a really obliging Wryneck at that location! That was until Sue spotted a group of people with long lenses, lurking in the undergrowth and suggested I go over to see what they were up to. Never one to argue I did as I was told. Suspicious looking characters they were but it was great to meet up with Paul Snellgrove and David Gardiner again.

Initially it didn't look too promising. Paul put me onto the Wryneck but it just stuck its tongue out at me and then flew off.

It then reappeared a short distance away feeding on the ground.

It obviously did not see us as a threat and was happy to come within about twenty feet of us.

Above feeding and below showing the long tongue as it searches for its main food source ants and for other small insects in the undergrowth.

It turned out to be a very productive hours birding and I came away with some great pictures. To cap a good day I found a couple of Small Copper butterflies, a rather rare species this year.