Twitchers flock to see rare bird

Dozens of twitchers and bird photographers have been descending on the school to get a view of the bird, which originates from Africa.

The species migrates north to France and Spain from Africa for winter and around 100 annually overshoot and land on England’s south coast.

To see them any further north than the immediate southern coastline is very rare.

News of the hoopoe’s appearance in Walsall soon spread and twitchers have swooped since the bird was first sighted in a back garden.

A Beechdale resident alerted the RSPB but since then the bird has set up home in the school fields.

Roger and Margaret Smith travelled from Nantwich to Walsall at the weekend after a special pager service alerted them to news of the arrival.

Mrs Smith said: “My pager beeped and as soon as I was told a hoopoe had been sighted my husband and I travelled over here.

“We keep a log with all the birds we have seen. We travel all over the country to see rare birds. The hoopoe is a beautiful bird and we have seen it before but it gives us great pleasure each time.”

Bird photographers and friends Iain Leach, Kate Harte, Ray Hall and Ian Bentley travelled from Nottingham to photograph the hoopoe.

Mr Leach said: “We have been here all day and there has been dozens of people turn up to have a glimpse of the bird. As soon as word spreads you will get people coming all over the country to catch a glimpse of it.”

The hoopoe is the size of a mistle thrush and has a pinkish-brown body, black and white wings, a long black dow-curved bill and a long pinkish-brown crest, which it raises when excited.

Andy Mabbett, of RSPB Walsall Local Group, said: “The bird has become quite a celebrity in the area.”

By Andy Richardson and Lyndsey Hunt

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