A rare bird normally found in Africa or Asia has been captured on video by Castle Espie’s eagle-eyed reserve manager.
The exotic looking hoopoe had its crown of feathers tucked back when it was hunting for food at a Comber farm on Wednesday morning.
It is understood twitchers have now come from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the species for themselves.
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Castle Espie Manager Maurice Turley said spotting the pinkish bird with black and white wings was “great”.
He added: “A rare Hoopoe was spotted close to Castle Espie in the North Strangford area.
“Hoopoes do not breed here, but they can sometimes be blown off course during their spring migration between Africa and southern Europe.
“It is great to see this exotic looking bird, with its distinctive crest in the locality, and seems to be staying around and happily feeding.
“Every now and then, we get a rare bird showing up, usually during times of high migration and they are a welcome addition to our important native fauna.
“Strangford is an extremely important area for migrating birds, with tens of thousands relying on the habitats of Strangford Lough along their migration routes.”
Maurice spends much of his time looking after the birds at Castle Espie wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust on the banks of Strangford Lough.
This Easter, the team at Castle Espie have planned some quacking family days out where kids of all ages can become a wetland detective.
You will be able to investigate underwater mysteries, follow tracks to work out who’s been creeping around at night and learn how to use everything from feathers to bird calls to reveal the wildlife secrets only a true Wetland Detective knows.
There will be pond dipping, mini-beast hunting and bird watching as well.
Paul Stewart, Centre Manager, said: “Easter is the perfect time to spot all the new life at our centre, from budding trees to fluffy ducklings. Our detective trails will excite and inspire, helping everyone to feel closer to nature and to engage with the wonders of our wetland. Whilst our resident collection bird section remains temporarily closed, they can still be viewed our from our Kingfisher Café.
“There is still lots to do and see and we look forward to welcoming visitors to WWT Castle Espie this Easter.”
Events from April 6-16 from 11-1pm and 2-4pm each day include:
- Thursday 6 - Birdwatching in the Brent hide for families
- Friday 7 - Pond dipping
- Saturday 8 - Mini-beast hunting
- Sunday 9 – Pond dipping
- Monday 10 – Tracks and signs
- Tuesday 11 – Birdwatching in the Brent hide for families
- Wednesday 12 – Mini-Beast hunting
- Thursday 13 – Pond dipping
- Friday 14 – Tracks and signs
- Saturday 15 – Mini-Beasts
- Sunday 16 – Pond dipping
WWT Castle Espie reopened its doors in October 2022, after work with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to protect the birds at the centre from bird flu.
As a result, the resident bird collection remains closed but visitors can still see some of the wetland superstars from around the world from the Kingfisher café, and will have access to the rest of the site.
To find out more about what’s happening at WWT Castle Espie this Spring visit https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/castle-espie.
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