Cretzschmar's Bunting in Dorset? UPDATE

Possible reported in scrub by the visitor centre at Kimmeridge Bay DWT today according to Birdguides and RBA late this evening, also reported on Dorset Birds blog as 'unconfirmed report'... does anyone have any info??? Could be a good weekend!

This would be a massive bird if it is one with only 4 accepted records - all from Shetland (1967 and 1979) and Orkney (1998 and 2008). It would therefore represent the 1st mainland and 1st English record of the species (with records in 1989 in Lothian and 1875 in Sussex no longer accepted).

This would be a month earlier than any previous record... and also a lot earlier than any previous record in northwest Europe...


Cretzchmar's Bunting © Jan Svetlik 2008

News at lunchtime Saturday: No sign of reported possible. I guess we'll have to wait to see if there are any pictures of it?