30 August 2009

On 30 June this year, Stephen Powles had the great good fortune to encounter a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Devon Bird Recorder Mike Langman has just received the following account from Stephen, along with one of the photos he managed to take before the bird flew off.

Stephen writes: “In the early evening following a brief visit to Braunton Burrows, North Devon, on 30 June this year I hadn’t driven far towards Wrafton when I spotted an unusual bird silhouette on the telephone wires over the water meadows. Being interested in birds and having
been lucky enough to spend time in East Africa, I was immediately aware what it was likely to be a bee-eater.

Reversing (a well-practised manoeuvre for those in rural veterinary practice!!), I was relieved to see the bird still there. As luck would have it, I had my camera on the passenger seat of the car and the bird stayed long enough for me to take two photographs through the car windscreen. Not fully appreciating the mega-rarity of my sighting I didn’t pursue the bird any further.

Driving back to Mid Devon I reflected on how lucky I had been to see a bee-eater. Having returned home, with the bird book out and using my rather poor quality photograph, I soon worked out that this was clearly not a European Bee-eater but a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)! At this point I still wasn’t fully aware of the significance of my sighting.

The following day, whilst speaking to a friend on the telephone, I mentioned my good fortune. At this point he became very excited and, looking it up on the internet as we spoke, told me that there had only been eight previous reports in the UK. This placed the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in the ‘mega rare’ status rather than the ‘scarce’ status of the European Bee-eater.

Follow-up visits failed to find the bird. This was to my great relief as the thought of large numbers of people descending on such a location as this one made me feel very uncomfortable. Had I realized that my sighting had the potential to draw large crowds, I would have been more careful about releasing the exact location. Luckily, as it turned out, the Burrows and my conscience were spared even if it left the birders frustrated!”

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater – Braunton Burrows – ©
Stephen Powles – 30 June 2009