Black-throated Thrush: After spending the morning dipping the Richard’s pipit at Flamborough, a bird I have embarrassingly yet to catch up with, but not without trying. I’m now racking up a good tally of Dick pipits I’ve dipped!
Tobie and I headed south towards Grimsby for the longs staying black-throated thrush that has been posing well for toggers. I’ve seen a few of these birds over the years and most recently in December 2019 when I went down to see one at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.
Back then I thought to myself ‘this is the best looking male bird I will see’ as it showed particularly well. But I was wrong, this Grimsby bird take the trophy hand down. Upon arriving the bird was fast asleep high up in a tree juts off the roundabout outside the Grimsby Institute, a very busy urban area.
The bird eventually woke up, preened and started actively looking at the ground before hopping down to collect some worms.
The bird did this a few times and on one occasion it decided to spend a prolonged period on the ground in search of more worms. This attractive bird has travelled a long, long way to end up in North East Lincolnshire, Grimsby of all places.
Black-throated thrush are native to India and Eastern Asia a remarkable journey. The bird was found by a local birder who works at the institute and put some image sup on Twitter.
Perhaps this is a lesson to us all, wherever we work, its always worth keeping your eyes open for something rare. You never know what you might find.
