Purple Martin In Britain!!! (1 Viewer)

[Krispo]

Big news!!! |8.|

Just see on birdguides.com there has been a sighting of a purple martin in the butt of lewis, outer Hebridies. Is this a first for Britain?

Kajrowe

 

[Chris Monk]

It's a first for not only the UK but more significantly the Western Palearctic!

 

[DJ Sideboard]

It's a first for not only the UK but more significantly the Western Palearctic!

Wasn't there one reported at Ouessant (France) in late autumn one year in the mid-eighties?.

 

[wroughtiron]

Does anyone have anymore information about this Purple Martin spotted in the U.K.?

 

[lark o'dell]

WoW a purple martin
where did it come from

 

[salty]

WoW a purple martin
where did it come from

and where is it now?............

 

[Henry H]

Well WroughtIron, I just googled Purple Martin and restricted the search to the UK. I got a few matches, but one of them was a newspaper report. The newspaper is "The Scotsman", but the story is more about 'twitching' than the bird itself.
I have a vague idea that I am not supposed to paste links in this forum.
If you google Scotsman Purple Martin it comes up as the top match. Worth a try.
Cheers
Henry

 

[Keith Reeder]

Just to note- this was a year ago...

 

[wroughtiron]

Henry H, thanks the article was a big help.

 

[lark o'dell]

big trip for a martin if it comes from america

 

[mountain man]

The juvenile Purple Martin was found at about 2.30pm on Sunday 5th September at the Butt of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides by three birders including a friend of mine (Mark Witherall). Despite earlier claims, this was the first concrete record in the UK and indeed the Western Palearctic (although another turned up the next day). Note that the bird has not yet been officially accepted onto the British list by the BOU, but I assume it is just a formality.

I went up the next day to see it and, along with about about 75 others, missed it by 45 minutes. I wasn't in a very good mood.

Amazingly, another bird (or possibly the same) was seen briefly at Porthgwarra in Cornwall in late October with Starlings. The bird on Lewis was also associating Starlings. I suggest we all check Starlings over the next few weeks...

Thomas

 

[lark o'dell]

thanks for the hint do you think that it will hang around the coast or go inland

 

[Alan henry]

thanks for the hint do you think that it will hang around the coast or go inland

This all happened over a year ago

 

[lark o'dell]

what did the new sighting of the purple nartin or the one in the google site.

 

[Terry O'Nolley]

Are there more than one - or is it the same bird at different locations?

 

[Andy Bright]

This was a thread from 1 YEAR AGO.
I think everyone will be grateful if this thread is locked!