A housing estate in Greater Manchester is not the normal place I'd choose to go birding, but when the opportunity of a lifer nearby appears, I'll go almost anywhere. It's funny how many rare birds are now turning up in people's gardens on ordinary suburban streets, but I guess it down to the amount of bird feeders and food available. This one is a Rosy Starling.
I must say right away that I hate walking down a street with a pair of binoculars and sometimes a scope or a camera with a big lens. It really does feel like an invasion of privacy of the people who live there. I don't think I'd like it very much if someone was staring up at my house with a scope or camera, but most of the rimes I've done the people have been very amenable and keen to know about what we're all looking at.
The bird used to be called a Rose-coloured Starling and many birders still refer to it by this name. Either that or they call it the Fawn Yawn and I suppose this is down to its juvenile plumage coloration. It hasn't yet attained the fine black and pink colours which give the adult bird its name as well as the alternative name, Pink Stink. What has this poor bird done to deserve such disrespect!
So there we have it - a Life, Year and Greater Manchester tick all in one visit. Well pleased!
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