Tuesday 28 April 2009

MEGA: WHITE-COLLARED FLYCATCHER in DORSET

A first-summer male WHITE-COLLARED FLYCATCHER was present this evening in Pete & Debbie Saunder's private garden in Southwell on the Isle of Portland (Dorset). The bird was showing well and was superbly photographed by Pete (see image on the Portland Observatory site at http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm

It represents the first record for Dorset of this long-range migrant which breeds from eastern France, Switzerland and Italy through eastern Europe into European Russia and follows a remarkable fall of this and closely related flycatchers in Israel this past week (involving over 700 birds)