Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Actitis (coast-dweller) macularius ("spot")

First Winter Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 34-50g  /  Length: 18-20cm  /  Wingspan: 40cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

It is certainly the case that rare birds can turn up in the most peculiar of locations - in this particular case, along the margins of an artificial white water course in Nottingham.  It must be the first time when going to see a rare species came with spectator stands.  The spotted sandpiper is the equivalent of the Common Sandpiper for the America, breeding in the North and Wintering in the South.  Although this first Winter individual doesn't have them, the name comes from the breeding plumage adults which have a highly speckled breast.

Related Species:

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Scolopacidae

Genus: Actitis

Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A very rare vagrant

 - Single bird seen at Holme Pierrepont (January 2018) 

UNITED STATES 
Breeds throughout most of Alaska and Lower 48, Winters in South, Resident on West Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

OTHER NAMES: Kooldjak, Gooldjak
Latin Etymology: Cygnus ("swan") atratus ("black")

Escapee Adult Black Swan (subspecies C. a. atratus) at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire - January 2018

Featured Subspecies: Cygnus atratus atratus
Weight: 3.7-9kg  /  Length: 110-142cm  /  Wingspan: 1.6-2cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While a number of duck species have escaped captivity and gone feral, swans haven't had the same success.  In part this is because they tend to be less popular in collections to begin with.  The Black Swan is a native of Australia and the closest thing to an established feral swan species we have - there are a few small established populations dotted around the country, plus other sole individuals like this.  Interestingly, a black swan existed in European folklore before before Australia was discovered - a symbol for extreme rarity in contrast to the white swans familiar in Europe.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cygnus
Subspecies: C. a. atratus, C. a. sumnerensis (extinct)

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A Rare Feral Breeding Resident and Regular Escapee

 - Single bird seen at Holme Pierrepont (January 2018) 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .