belted kingfisher on St Mary’s
The belted kingfisher on St Mary’s
An unusual visitor from the US is getting bird watchers in a flap — because it is only the fourth time it has been seen in the UK.

The arrival of a belted kingfisher on St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly is a bit of a mystery, said ornithologist Will Wagstaff.

'We've had the wrong wind for it. We expect American birds with westerlies but we've had southerlies and southeasterlies,' he said.

The mild autumn may have seen the bird 'hang around in Europe' before heading north. Another US bird — a laughing gull — was recently seen on the nearby island of St Martin's. 'That's not as rare by any stretch but still a good rarity,' he said.