An experienced birdwatcher in the United Kingdom was treated to finding not one but two rare birds in the span of just two weeks.
Ipswich resident John Lewis was in Upper Hollesley Common in Suffolk when he spotted a brown shrike, a bird native to Inner Mongolia in China, according to the East Anglian Daily Times. Just weeks prior, he saw another bird from the same family — the red-tailed or Turkestan shrike — while birdwatching at nearby Dunwich Heath. The two bird species are extremely rare in the U.K., with only 12 sightings of the family recorded.
"I had taken a friend to see the darts (Dartford Warbler) and this bird suddenly appeared into sight, and I thought, 'That is an unusual bird,'" he said. "It was just very fortunate that I turned up when I did, and it was in the right place at the right time."
Bird migration patterns are often influenced by changes in the climate, both by timing and by location. As global temperatures rise, unpredictable weather patterns can throw species off their typical migratory path, with winds guiding them to unfamiliar land.
"During periods of easterly airflow at this time of year, we can often see the small-scale arrival of rare birds from the east," explained Jon Carter, media manager for the British Trust for Ornithology, per the Daily Times.
As a result, the U.K.'s east coast becomes a safe harbor for these foreign birds to rest and recuperate before continuing their journey south for the winter. It seems in the case of the Turkestan shrike sighting that this particular bird took a scenic detour, much to the delight of bird enthusiasts in the area.
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"This is the first record of Turkestan shrike for Suffolk, making it a particularly exciting discovery, attracting birders from around the U.K.," Carter said.
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