African Spoonbill (1 Viewer)

Kevin Wade · Jul 8, 2005

Posting this picture of an African Spoonbill, Platalea alba, found by John Butler, while guiding myself and Mark Walters in an area John calls "the reedbeds", close to Dehesa de Abajo in the Doñana area on 6 July. It was feeding in the company of two Eurasian Spoonbills. This is probably the same bird that was first discovered by John on the 6th October 2002 and has been seen now and again in the area . It was still there on the 7 July, when I revisited the site alone, and took this photograph. Thanks to John for a great days birding!

James Lowther · Jul 8, 2005

Nice pic Kevin,
any idea whether it's a gen. wild vagrant or not?
Southern Spain must have great potential for all sorts of fruity Afrotropical stuff.
James

John Butler · Jul 9, 2005

James Lowther said:
Nice pic Kevin,
any idea whether it's a gen. wild vagrant or not?
Southern Spain must have great potential for all sorts of fruity Afrotropical stuff.
James

Hi James.

The bird in question was originally found by me on the 6th of October 2002 and has remained in the Doñana region, with subsequent sightings, since then.
It was ratified by the Spanish Rarities Committee as only the 7th fully tickable African Spoonbill for Spain and details of this can be seen in the SRC's "Ardeola No 51(2)" which was published this year. This makes it a Mega rarity for Spain.

Thanks to Kevin for posting the photo. i also managed to get him Pin-tailed Sandgrouse on the tour, a "lifer" that had eluded him on numerous independent visits to Doñana.

Regards from Doñana.

John.

Nick Smith · Jul 9, 2005

John Butler said:
Hi James.

The bird in question was originally found by me on the 6th of October 2002 and has remained in the Doñana region, with subsequent sightings, since then.
It was ratified by the Spanish Rarities Committee as only the 7th fully tickable African Spoonbill for Spain and details of this can be seen in the SRC's "Ardeola No 51(2)" which was published this year. This makes it a Mega rarity for Spain.

Thanks to Kevin for posting the photo. i also managed to get him Pin-tailed Sandgrouse on the tour, a "lifer" that had eluded him on numerous independent visits to Doñana.

Regards from Doñana.

John.

If it has been accepted as genuine, what does that do to the status of the long staying Welsh African Spoonbill, present since last Autumn? Apparently not a very good chance of vagrancy we are told.

foxsparrow · Sep 13, 2005

Link to a photo of an African Spoonbill in Italy

http://birdingitalynet.blog.tiscali.it

It is moulting its wing. What about moulting in this species ? This may help to accept true vagrants or not ? True vagrants may have reverse moulting than Eurasian Spoonbill...
Cheers

Tim Hall · Sep 22, 2005

So where exactly is the Welsh residing African Spoonbill supposed to have escaped from?
I've seen the bird many times in the last year, and indeed videoed it (badly). No one I've spoken to has yet come up with a reserve in Britain or nearby mainland Europe that's lost one, or indeed keeps them.
I'm not saying for a moment that it is a wild bird, but would like some idea where it might have come from. It's not the sort of bird you could forget that you owned, is it?

African Spoonbill (1 Viewer)

More options

Kevin Wade

Well-known member

Attachments

James Lowther

Well-known member

John Butler

Registered Member

Nick Smith

Member of the Staffordshire Bird Club

foxsparrow

Italian Birder

Tim Hall

Worcestershire County Cricket in Exile

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread