Experts believe the bird could be home-grown in the UK
(Image: Andrew Fusek‐Peters)
Bird-lovers were shocked when a species of bird that vanished from the British countryside 600-years-ago was spotted in Wales. The towering 3ft rare white stork was caught on camera by wildlife photographer Andrew Fusek‐Peters as it tucked into “a good munch” of grubs beside a busy A-road.
The species, once a familiar sight across England and Wales in the 1400s, made its comeback in 2020 after a major rewilding effort. The bird captured on camera near Oswestry on the border of England and Wales last Friday, January 16 could be one of the first wild-born British storks in centuries.
Andrew, 60, from Lydbury North, Shropshire said: “It’s a white stork, for 600 years we haven’t had storks. Then in 2020, thanks to the rewilding scheme on the Knepp Estate in Horsham, they’ve been reintroduced.
“This time of year it shouldn’t even be anywhere near Oswestry, it should be soaking up the sun in Africa.”
White stork (Image: Andrew Fusek‐Peters)
With no ring on its leg, experts believe it could be a genuine home‐grown chick.
Andrew added: “It’s a juvenile, and one theory is all of the storks that were breeding in the south have gone off to other areas.
“It could be the result of one of those, so it could be one of the first British storks to be born in the wild in this part of the country.
“What’s rare about it is that it should be in Africa in the warm. It could be one of our first British storks born truly in the wild, it didn’t have a ring on it.”
White stork with a cow(Image: Andrew Fusek‐Peters)
The giant bird caused a flutter among local wildlife fans after word spread online.
Andrew added: “There are birding groups and they post maps and advice, so you get to know where the rare things are. Someone mentioned there was a stork in the area.
“It’s a bonkers thing to see. You can see it juggling a few grubs in one shot, it’s just having a good munch. It’s a main road coming out of a village near Oswestry, so it was dangerous. I nearly fell into the path of a truck.”
White stork (Image: Andrew Fusek‐Peters)
Native to the British Isles, the birds – which build huge nests in tall trees and towers – are often believed to symbolise rebirth.
Storks were reportedly the centre of attention in medieval banquets and are famously found in folklore carrying new born babies to their parent’s in a swaddle hung from their beaks.
The last known breeding nest of storks in the UK, however, was recorded as being in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh in 1416.
The White Stork Project – a partnership between private landowners and nature conservation charities – aims to restore a population of at least 250 storks to the south of England by the year 2030.