Help with ID

[Flipflop]

Hello, I shot this photo and a couple others this afternoon through my kitchen Window, I thought it was Pitpit at first but the strips on its breast were distinctively horizontal, could anyone tell me if it's Wryneck?

TIA

[thebeard]

incredible - this is indeed a wryneck! amazing for a garden bird!

dont tell the twitchers or you garden will be mobbed

[Flipflop]

Thank you very much for taking the time to ID it. I was making a cuppa and looked out the kitchen window and thought at fist it was just a sparrow

I wish now I had managed to get some better photographs but at least I got a couple, here are some more for anyone who is interested.

[aeshna5]

Great garden tick! What part of the country are you in? Two have been recorded today at different parts of the extremities of the London recording area at Grays + at Tyttenhangar.

[Flipflop]

In the West at Bridgwater Somerset, so on the Bristol Channel.

[solus]

Wow! What a great garden record!

If you can spare a moment, I'm sure your local County Bird Recorder would be pleased to be told of this sighting - according to the British Birds Rarities Committee website, he is Brian Gibbs and the e-mail address for reports is:
brian.gibbs@virgin.net

Don't worry, he won't send a load of twitchers round to your house! Attach one of the photos to your message too.

There are a few of these charismatic birds around the country at the moment and all records will be of great interest in building up the bigger picture of occurrences - you never know, you may even get your initials in the County Bird Report!

Edit: Welcome to WAB, by the way!

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Flipflop

In the West at Bridgwater Somerset, so on the Bristol Channel.

This makes the record slightly more unusual - most turn up near the east (or south) coasts.
A great garden bird though, and nice to see at any time!

[Flipflop]

Originally Posted by solus

Wow! What a great garden record!

If you can spare a moment, I'm sure your local County Bird Recorder would be pleased to be told of this sighting - according to the British Birds Rarities Committee website, he is Brian Gibbs and the e-mail address for reports is:
brian.gibbs@virgin.net

Don't worry, he won't send a load of twitchers round to your house! Attach one of the photos to your message too.

There are a few of these charismatic birds around the country at the moment and all records will be of great interest in building up the bigger picture of occurrences - you never know, you may even get your initials in the County Bird Report!

Edit: Welcome to WAB, by the way!

Thank you for the warm welcome, I've emailed him.

[Picidae]

I wouldn't put it out on Rare Bird Alert or any of the other services if you don't want people peering over your garden wall with long lenses. Ask your County Recorder to keep your privacy and if the news does get out that it's made clear the location is in an unaccessable and private area. That's perfectly acceptable. It will also avoid unnecessary disturbance to the bird.

And what an impressive entrance to WAB! Fantastic to get a Wryneck in the garden.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by RoyW

This makes the record slightly more unusual - most turn up near the east (or south) coasts.
A great garden bird though, and nice to see at any time!

They do turn up like this (in gardens) on migration - I've heard of a couple this week in inland counties. Still a very good record though, and it's never happened to me...yet!