Email from Richard Pharo to Richard Freeman, Monday Morning....
Hi Rich,
on my way to work, somewhere a few couple of miles east from Landkey along the North Devon link road, I have just been overflown by something, at about 7.45am.
In my estimation, it was a stork, crane or flamingo, It was perhaps 80 yards above the road and flying east. It was a lot bigger than a heron although for its size its wings were fairly small, although the spread into long flight feathers like storks. I do not think it was a European stork, because for its size its wings were too small and were wholly a light colour, probably white. It had very long legs, but its beak did not seem to have the length or size of a stork. In profile from below, it had a thin neck and larger head, having the shape of cormorant, but with a bit longer beak. The rest of it was largely white or other light colour. I watched it for perhaps 10 seconds as it flew along the route of the A361 towards me and directly above my car.
I am surprised and annoyed but also pleased I don't know what it is. If you hear other reports on the creature vine, it probably achieved landfall down the Taw estuary, but it will be out of Devon pretty fast at this rate!
Hope things are good with you. Will speak to you soon,
Rich
Perhaps a crane?
ReplyDeleteSounds a lot more like a crane than anything else - see for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Cranes_(Grus_grus)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture_076.jpg
ReplyDeleteThere are cranes in the UK but IIRC they are only in East Anglia (and possibly parts of Scotland?) - however, could be a vagrant or escaped from captivity, as i believe there are quite a few captive bird collections in Devon (mostly due to it being a tourist area)...